Chicago Cubs’ shocking breakout star just may be the best hitter in all of baseball

The Chicago Cubs wanted a defensively-sound catcher who could be a mentor to young backstop Miguel Amaya in a sort of platoon arrangement. They got that when they signed free agent Carson Kelly to a 2-year, $11. 5 million contract.

But they also got a whole lot more.

The 30-year-old veteran catcher has stunned the baseball world with his offensive prowess in, probably, the most unexpected breakout story of the season thus far.

Carson Kelly, By The (Crazy) Numbers

Per Cubs podcaster Brendan Miller, via Baseball Savant, Kelly has, at least statistically, made a case for himself as the best hitter in major league baseball:

— wOBA: .547 (1st in MLB)
— Strikeout rate: 99th percentile
— Walk rate: 100th percentile
— xSLG: 98th percentile
— Hard-Hit: 94th percentile

With Monday’s home run against the San Francisco Giants in Wrigley Field, per the Chicago Sun Times, Kelly joined legend Gabby Hartnett as one of two Cubs catchers in modern baseball history to hit at least 8 homers in the first 20 games of a season.

But the craziness doesn’t end there.

Per Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation:

“Kelly is hitting .361/.500/.820/252 wRC+ with a .465(!) xwOBA, and has been worth 1.6 WAR in 20 games. As noted, his batted ball metrics are just silly, and he’s walked more than twice as often as he’s struck out. Heck, he’s now HOMERED MORE OFTEN THAN HE’S STRUCK OUT. He has the fourth lowest strikeout rate in baseball despite making Aaron Judge-like contact when he hits the ball – that’s ABSURD.”

As of this writing, he now has 8 home runs on the season in just 61 at bats and is still basking in the glow of being named to MLB’s March/April Team of the Month.

The Chicago Cubs’ “Journeyman” Breaks Out

Not bad for a 10-year veteran once regarded as a journeyman catcher who spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers.

Kelly attributes his newfound offensive success to fine tuning his balance at the plate, tweaking his approach to drive more balls in the air rather than beat them into the ground.

“I shifted the weight to hold all the energy in the back,” Kelly recently told The Athletic. “When I get set, I have a lot of weight in that back leg and I’m trying to stay grounded.

“I got to a place where I’m hitting in the air, more hard contact, more consistent, less chasing. It was trial and error and sticking to what I wanted to do.”

Kelly remained focused and grounded after Monday’s game.

“One day at a time, one pitch at a time,” Kelly told reporters. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been fun to see all the hard work put in and to get results because of it. It’s one of those things, we just continue to work every single day and put in the work and take it pitch to pitch.”

“He continues to take big swings, have good at-bats,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell also told media. “Offense from that position is hard to find in this league, and when you get offense from that position, as a team, it makes your offense dangerous. One more spot, one more guy kind of doing it on a regular basis. Both Carson and [Miguel Amaya] have provided that for us.”

…Plus The Defense

Another remarkable aspect to Kelly’s 2025 run is that he remains a very dependable defensive catcher with a good rapport with pitchers.

“When I put my gear on, it’s over. You flip the switch and you work on your pitchers,” Kelly said. “And then when I come in the dugout and take my gear off, then it’s hitting. Having those physical changes helps me make that adjustment.”

All in all, the Cubs’ unexpected breakout star has stunned the league– and he continues to be one of the many good Cubs stories coming out of Chicago this season.