The postseason sure has a cruel way to circle names and force them into the light. For Chicago, that name right now is Kyle Tucker. Once a steady force in the lineup, Tucker has been fighting with consistency for months. His swing seems to lack that power, given all those injuries. But, with the Chicago Cubs stepping into Milwaukee for NDLS, Tucker’s bat might be the only deciding factor for how far Chicago really goes.

Call it divine timing or not, Tucker has started to show signs of bouncing back as early as Game 2. He didn’t quite finish the regular season strong, managing three starts and a 1-12 stretch after coming off the injured list. So when he went 0 for 3 in Game 1, nobody was shocked. But Game 2 came, and it was different. He at least put together some real swings—a hit in four trips to the plate and two balls smoked at 99.0 and 96.3 MPH.

So it is not vintage Tucker, but it seems like a start. And Chicago is going to need this, because Milwaukee won’t be handing out freebies. Brewers, after all, have their own storyline going, and at the center of their story is Freddy Peralta- the player with 17-6, 2.70 ERA. But even though he has been lights out against the Cubs, Chicago insiders feel that, given Tucker is getting on fire, the Brewers have little chance.

On Waddle & Silvy, the sentiment was plain: “I like the fact that Kyle Tucker is starting to hit the baseball, at least in the form of hits. Maybe not power. Maybe he’s lost the power, but he… dumped one into left field. If Kyle Tucker can start hitting at the clip that we know Kyle Tucker can hit… we know how much different a team this Cubs team is.” And they are right; the Cubs don’t need Tucker to be a Superman right now, they just need him to be himself.

They’re right. The Cubs don’t need Tucker to be Superman; they just need him to be himself. Dansby Swanson has been a steady October hand, and the rotation boosted by Matthew Boyd has given the Cubs the fighting chance it needs. But yes, when one is starting down Brewers—the underdogs, that team that has eaten some of the biggest franchises, with half of the payroll—one cannot take them lightly. Sure, the Brewers had a losing record vs. the Cubs this season (7-6), but Freddy Peralta dominated the Cubs in his 4 matches, winning 3 out of the 4.

Plus, Chicago won’t just have Tucker under the microscope, though. Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs’ spark in the outfield, has had his own slump in the regular season. Of course, everyone was wondering whether his first October would be a forgettable one. But, well, baseball is funny like that because PCA broke through with a 3-for-4 showing in the Wild Card.  If Tucker and PCA both come through and carry the October weight, then the Cubs might be unstoppable.

How has Peralta historically fared against the Chicago Cubs?

A win, though, won’t come easily to the Chicago Cubs, even though that’s what they would be praying for. Because the Milwaukee Brewers will hand the ball to Peralta, the guy who has made life miserable for the Cubs all season. In 2025 itself, he has faced the Cubs four times and walked away with a neat 3.43 ERA across 21 innings.

The Brewers took three of those four games, and a major reason is Peralta’s ability to keep Chicago in check. Twice, he blanked them completely—sic, scoreless innings in May and another gem in August. The Cubs hitters batted just .164 off him all year. And with not a single stolen base to show for it. It was not just dominance but a message. And if you see Chicago’s lineup, then Ian Happ, who has seen Peralta more than anyone, has managed just two hits in 32 at-bats. So while the Cubs are said to win the World Series too, the way won’t be simple.

Nico Hoerner has not done great either at the plate. 179 over 28 tries. Even the big names like Seiya Suzuki (.130 in 23 at-bats) and Dansby Swanson (0.095 in 21 at-bats) have struggled to catch him. So yes, the glimmer of hope for the Cubs seems to be PCA and Kyle Tucker. But even then one cannot say, “The Cubs have it all figured out.” Because one thing is for sure, the Brewers are not letting go without a fight.