It is April, and that can only mean one thing: baseball is full-time in the city of Chicago. After a couple of very different seasons for the Cubs and Sox, some fans wonder how they should feel going into the 2025 season. Let’s take a look back on the last couple of months in the baseball world and what to expect in the near future.

To recap, the Chicago Cubs started the year with a new manager, Craig Counsell. Under new management, the Cubs looked hot through July with a record of 68-66. From August to the end, they finished the season going 15-13 and missing the playoffs. This left Cubs fans heartbroken after a promising start to the season.

On the other hand, the Chicago Sox had a historically bad season, setting the modern baseball record for most losses in a season, ending with a 41-121. They also tied for second in MLB history for the longest loss streak, extending to 21 straight losses.

Looking to be a playoff contender, the Chicago Cubs made multiple notable moves during the offseason. They acquired Eli Morgan from the Guardians to help the less-than-stellar bullpen, traded Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, and grabbed the highly decorated Kyle Tucker from the Astros. The Cubs have been needing a left-handed and reliable power hitter, and Tucker should be able to deliver that for the club. It is concerning that they have not been focusing too much on the bullpen, as poor late-game pitching cost them multiple games last season.

The White Sox continue their rebuild attempts after the disappointing 2024 season. As a result, they traded many players in hopes of starting fresh. Notable players not returning for the upcoming season include Garret Croche (Red Sox), Gavin Sheets (Padres), and Yoan Moncada (Angels). Hopes for White Sox baseball in the future seem promising with a strong farm system including Noah Shultz, Hagen Smith, and Colson Montgomery. Another notable addition to the Sox staff is new head coach Will Venable. This addition comes after the team was coached under Pedro Grifol and interim head coach Grady Sizemore for the second half of the 2024 season.

Even though the season has just started, there are still important stats to pull for each team.

As of writing this, the Cubs are first in the National League Central and are batting .258 as a team. Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch, and Miguel Amaya have been mashing the ball, for they have averages of .307, .310, and .310, respectively. Carson Kelly has recently hit for the cycle against the A’s, marking the first time a Cubs player has done so since 1993. Batting above .300 is fantastic, but batting that high against World Series-caliber teams is even better. The Cubs are currently 11-8 after facing two of the best teams in baseball over multiple series- the Dodgers and the Padres. The bats are alive, with no signs of slowing down. 

Meanwhile, the White Sox have started the season as everyone has expected. After just under 4 weeks into the 2025 season, the Sox have gone 5-18, leaving them last in the AL Central. While this is not the start the team or fans have wanted, they have shown improvements since last year, when they went 3-22 to start the 2024 season.

Cubs pitching, however, is a trickier subject. They have a team ERA of 4.37, which isn’t the worst but could be better. It is fair to separate their pitching between starters and relievers, as both sides have thrown completely differently. The starters all have an ERA around 2-4.5, meaning that they do not let up many runs in a game. The relievers, however, are troubling. Half of them have ERAs of over 10, which is insane because they only pitch a few innings a week. The Cubs’ starters are doing their job, but the bullpen is blowing it. Hopefully, they can buy some relief at the trade deadline.

The Sox’s pitching staff hasn’t been very good to start the season. Davis Martin leads the Sox in ERA with a 3.95. The Sox staff has struggled with the long ball. They have given up 29 home runs so far and have a team ERA of 4.26. The team does not have a standout pitcher whom they can lean on for a shutout, so this will be one of the many subjects they need to improve on, looking ahead.

The Chicago Cubs are looking fantastic right now. They can hit around the order, and the starters know how to chuck the rock. They could be an NLDS contender or winner if they get some help in the bullpen. Assuming that everyone stays healthy and the team does not forget how to play baseball, fans should expect the North Side to play some games in October, hopefully marking their first playoff appearance since their wildcard appearance in 2020. If someone is not following this squad right now, they are missing out.

The Sox are on pace to have another underwhelming year. As they continue this 2025 season, fans need to remember that they are in a rebuilding stage. While they will not be much fun to watch, fans can hope this misery will be the fresh start the Sox need to become contenders again.