The Cubs have a brutal schedule to start the 2025 season. The Cubs begin the season with a two-game set against the Dodgers in Tokyo on Tuesday, but the schedule doesn’t exactly lighten up after that.
When they return to the United States the Cubs will face the Diamondbacks and Athletics on the road before their home opening series against the Padres.
Then they have to play the Rangers, another series against the Dodgers on the road, and another against San Diego. Then they play Arizona again, the Dodgers for a third time, and then a three-game series against the Phillies at Wrigley. Phew.
Taking on the World Champs
Let’s start with the obvious: Seven of their first twenty-nine games are against the defending world champion, and the best team in baseball Dodgers. The Cubs will only get home-field advantage in two of those games as they are the designated home team in Tokyo.
The Cubs also face off against the previous champs, the Rangers in early April. While the Rangers had a disappointing title defense campaign in ‘24, the main culprit for that was likely injuries. The Rangers missed significant time from Jacob deGrom, Corey Seager, and Josh Jung. The Rangers should be much healthier, and hungrier this season.
Lots of West Coast trips
They also have to endure six games against the Padres. The Padres are one of the best lineups in the Majors and were on the precipice of knocking the Dodgers out of the playoffs last season.
Last season the Padres went 4-2 against the Cubs and were a Michael Busch walk-off homer in the rain from potentially going 5-1. The Padres are hoping for rookie phenom Jackson Merrill to continue his progression into one of the game’s biggest stars.
The Diamondbacks also pose a threat to the Cub’s early season momentum. They feature an elite 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation with Zac Gallen and recent free agent acquisition Corbin Burnes. Their lineup includes All-stars Ketel Marte, Corbin Carrol, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Last season the Cubs split with the Diamondbacks in six total games, but the Cubs may need to do better this season to keep their head above water early on.
Welcoming back some old friends
The Phillies are also no freebies either. The Phillies are one of the best all-around teams in baseball. Their lineup is aided by superstars Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto. Their pitching staff is arguably top-3 in the entire sport with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Jesús Luzardo anchoring the rotation. The Phillies expect to be in the thick of World Series contention this season.
The “easy” team the Cubs play in the beginning portion of the season is the Athletics. The A’s are a rebuilding team. However, they do feature some nice young pieces. Players like Mason Miller, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, and Brent Rooker give A’s fans hope for a better tomorrow. But in the present day, the Cubs need to take care of business against this team.
Last season the Cubs started 18-11 in their first 29 games. This included series against the Rangers, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Astros, Red Sox and Mets.
The Cubs cannot afford a slow start this season. The pressure is on everyone in the organization to get the Cubs back to the playoffs. If they are unable to do that, a lot of people will likely lose their jobs.
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