One of the biggest surprises of the 2025 Chicago Cubs season was the offensive contributions of catcher Carson Kelly. The 32-year-old backstop was brought in to be the veteran back-up to Miguel Amaya, and he ended up having a career season. In 111 games he slashed .249/.333/.428 with 17 home runs and a .761 OPS, while setting career-highs in RBI (48), wRC+ (115), and overall fWAR (2.6).
Kelly is on a two-year deal, with a third-year mutual option in 2028, so he will once again be a part of the Cubs in 2026. The big question: can we expect him to be a major threat at the plate again next year?