MLB has a way of pulling off a surprise or downright gobsmacking everyone each season. This time, most thought the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers would be the ones calling all the shots, but things have been different. For instance, things are going rather well on the north side. The Chicago Cubs are 35-21 and riding high atop the NL Central, even ahead of the Mets.

And a big part of their success is because of the outfield duo of Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong—one a proven star, the other a breakout one. But just as the wins and records stack up, so do the questions.

The elephant in the room is, can the Cubs actually keep these guys long-term on the team?

Kyle Tucker, ever since he arrived in Chicago Cubs, has been everything the team has hoped for. The 28-year-old is slugging. .281/.388/.535 with 12 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. He is a complete powerhouse at the plate. However, the problem is that he is a free agent after this season. And the Cubs have shown no interest in actually shelling out how much Tucker would entail. Patrick Mooney of The Athletic mentioned that it would be a nine-figure number. This is huge!

Patrick Mooney, on Foul Territory, also mentioned, “With Tucker, it’s certainly a possibility… but that’s not their business plan so far. Maybe Kyle Tucker is the ultimate exception… but I would certainly expect a Pete extension to be more likely than a Kyle Tucker extension, no doubt.” So, for him, PCA has more chances to remain in the Cubs than Tucker. And to be fair, Crow Armstrong has been stellar, and he is just 23 years old.

After a rocky start to his MLB career, PCA has flipped the story completely this season with 15 homers, 50 RBIs, and a .275 average in just 56 games. He is looking every bit a future Gold Glove winner, and the Cubs have already approached him about an extension. Even though nothing has materialized from that meeting. The good news is that Chicago controls PCA through 2030. So there is no panic button just yet.

Drew Pomeranz’s comeback is the Chicago Cubs’ quietest flex right now

If you thought that Pete Crow-Armstrong was the only one with a feel-good story in Chicago this summer, think again. There is another name, one you probably haven’t heard from in a while, and who is making quite a remarkable return—Drew Pomeranz. The former Red Sox lefty bounced around rotations and bullpens. And he is now writing one of the most unexpected comeback stories of 2025.

After injuries wiped out his multiple seasons, including a brutal stretch where he was out of the majors since August 2021, he seemed like the guy MLB closed its chapter on. But then came the Cubs. They rolled the dice, and lo and behold, the 36-year-old has been lights out. Through 14 appearances, he has thrown 12⅔ ⅔ scoreless innings, striking out 14 and walking just three. He is 2-0, and for a guy who hadn’t pitched in the majors for nearly four years, this is incredibly eye-watering.

Plus, what’s more impressive is how calm and composed he has looked on the mound. He is not rusty at all and is one of the steadiest arms in the Cubs and one of the anchors of the team. Talking of red-hot players in the Cubs, one cannot forget Seiya Suzuki. He just earned the NL Player of the Week and leads the league with 49 RBIs. The Cubs have more than just one or two players who are in their complete form.

They are definitely looking championship-ready. What do you think?