The Chicago Cubs looked to be bringing a most unhappy camper with them, playing a vital role, into the 2025 season.
Japanese star Seiya Suzuki was not happy about having his right field spot taken by Cody Bellinger in 2024 and he wasn’t happy about being named the full-time designated hitter as Kyle Tucker was brought on to the team for 2025.
Seiya Suzuki, From Unhappy To Onboard
“Seiya was a great defender in Japan, so it’s not a compliment to him being a DH,” Suzuki’s agent Joel Wolfe said at the time. “I think that if he was being posted in Japan, and teams were presenting to him their opportunities, and they said, ‘You could come here and be our full-time DH,’ I don’t think he would have signed with that team.”
The situation reportedly got so bad that the Cubs were said to be shopping Suzuki around.
But manager Craig Counsell appears to have had some grown-up talk with the 30-year-old to settle the simmering beef. And, so far this year, the former Hiroshima Toyo Carp all-star has looked to be relaxed and in good spirits.
As a matter if fact, everything seems to be trending in the right direction for him to have a career year in 2025.
Suzuki Primed For A Big 2025?
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report has recently posted a piece titled “10 Underrated MLB Players Who Will Explode in 2025” and he has placed Suzuki squarely at no. 3 on his list.
Per Rymer:
“Suzuki is heading into Year 4 of his four-year [actually five-year], $85 million deal with the Cubs, and the first three offered the opposite of diminishing returns. His OPS went from .770 to .842 to .848 between 2022, 2023 and 2024.
A similar pattern is present in his batted ball metrics, to a point where he climbed into the 91st percentile with his hard-hit rate in 2024.
There is some swing-and-miss in Suzuki’s offensive game, but he is not to be confused for a wild swinger. He was in the 94th percentile with his chase rate last year, and his walk rate is another area where he has momentum.
As Suzuki figures to see more time at DH in deference to Kyle Tucker in right field, it’s reasonable to expect him to stay healthy after he played 138 games in 2023 and 132 games in 2024. If he does, 30 homers will be within reach.”
Playing The Right Role With The Chicago Cubs
During his run with the Cubs, Suzuki has arguably been one of the team’s most consistent offensive assets. Over his last three seasons, he’s delivered a .278 batting average with 55 home runs and 193 RBIs. Last year, he posted a .283 average with a a career-high 21 home runs.
Per Fangraphs, there’s been a slight uptick in batting average when working the role of DH. In 2024, he hit .298 when used as a designated hitter, versus .266 when playing right field.
All in all, there’s evidence to suggest that Suzuki may excel as a full-time DH, especially as he fully accepts this role with the team and stays healthier to see more at bats.
There’s also the likelihood that hitting in a lineup with Kyle Tucker– either in front of him or directly behind him– will help greatly.
Suzuki seems poised for big things in 2025. The Cubs are hoping that those big things play into a nice postseason run.
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