After sweeping the Cleveland Guardians to remain undefeated, the Padres head on their first road trip of the season, beginning with a three-game set against the Cubs in Chicago.

Chicago has had a wild start to the season. The Cubs dropped both games in the Tokyo Series to the Dodgers. They gritted out a series win in Arizona. They spoiled the Athletics’ Opening Day in Sacramento, to the tune of 18 runs and a cycle from catcher Carson Kelly.

San Diego has gone 7-6 against the Cubs in the past two years, as the matchup has produced some very competitive games.

Notable contests include last season’s eight-run comeback, Fernando Tatis Jr. ‘s home run off of now-Padre Jeremiah Estrada, and Michael Busch‘s 427-foot walk-off home run.

This Spanish call by @Miguelsvoice of Michael Busch’s walk-off homer Tuesday night was electric! pic.twitter.com/wHKqod0ppM

— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2024

The Cubs have been active on the market this past year. They acquired Isaac Paredes at the deadline last summer and flipped him, along with Hayden Weneski and Cam Smith, for Kyle Tucker from the Astros. Past that, Justin Turner was signed as a bench bat. Cody Bellinger departed in free agency. Most notably, top prospect Matt Shaw has earned the everyday job at third base.

Last year, the Padres saw Shota Imanaga in Chicago last season, in which he pitched an absolute gem, until Jurickson Profar tagged him with a go-ahead 2-run homer in the seventh. After a series against Cleveland in which the Padres avoided facing top-notch pitching, that certainly won’t be the case on Friday night.

Pitching Matchups

With Michael King and Dylan Cease closing the previous series, the Padres’ third, fourth, and fifth pitchers are slated to go. Randy Vasquez will look to build on his strong debut against Atlanta. Nick Pivetta will take the bump in the middle game on Saturday, and Kyle Hart will get his first real test in the big leagues since his 2020 stint.

This W has a special place in our Hart. pic.twitter.com/W6E9DzdoIV

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 1, 2025

As mentioned earlier, Shota Imanaga will open the series for the Cubs, and will be followed by a new addition, Matt Boyd, who’s coming off a strong start against Arizona. Ben Brown, who was knocked around a little in Tokyo, will get the ball on Sunday.

Game 1: Randy Vasquez vs. Shota Imanaga

Game 2: Nick Pivetta vs. Matt Boyd

Game 3: Kyle Hart vs. Ben Brown

Cubs Pitchers

Shota Imanaga heavily features his four-seam at a 49% clip. While his velocity is below average, he locates it extremely well and spins it impressively. His counterpart is the nasty splitter that generated a 43.0 Whiff% last season. Matt Boyd, also a left-hander, came over this offseason from the Guardians. He features a simple fastball-slider-changeup mix from a 23° arm angle and had success in a limited capacity last season. Ben Brown made appearances as a reliever and starter last season and features just a fastball and curveball.

Shōta Imanaga, Filthy 84mph Splitter. ?

8th K…and is absolutely FIRED UP. pic.twitter.com/HDXgMb3Uxi

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 8, 2024

The Cubs’ bullpen is quietly one of the better units in the league. Porter Hodge posted a sub-two ERA in 45 innings for the Cubs in 2024. In a separate trade with Houston, the Cubs acquired established high-leverage reliever Ryan Pressly. Pressly has collected two saves for Chicago already, despite allowing three runs in his two appearances against the Diamondbacks. They also acquired Colin Rea, a starter in 2024 with the Brewers, who figures to serve a multi-inning role for the Cubbies.

Cubs Hitters

The addition of Kyle Tucker gives the Cubs lineup a real identity as a dangerous offense. The regulars, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Dansby Swanson, are all healthy. With contributions from the young guys, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, and Matt Shaw, the offense can stack up with anyone. The ordering should be something like this:

1. Ian Happ – Left Field
2. Seiya Suzuki – Designated Hitter
3. Kyle Tucker – Right Field
4. Michael Busch – First Base
5. Dansby Swanson – Shortstop
6. Nico Hoerner – Second Base
7. Pete Crow-Armstrong – Center Field
8. Matt Shaw – Third Base
9. Carson Kelly – Catcher

Neither Suzuki nor Tucker stand out as a better fielder than the other, though I’d give the edge to Kyle Tucker’s athleticism. Beyond that, the lineup is well-balanced between lefties and righties and should be pretty consistent.

Keys to the Series

For the Cubs:

Get on the board first: The Padres have scored first in six of their seven wins during their undefeated start. The exception was a solo home run that was quickly erased in the second inning. If the Cubs want to disrupt San Diego’s rhythm, they need to put multiple runs on the board before San Diego can.

Patrol the basepaths: Catcher Carson Kelly has posted four ‘Caught Stealings’ above average in the past two years. The Padres have stolen 15 bases this season, second in the MLB, and will look to add on that total. On the other hand, the Cubs are third with 11 stolen bases and will likely plan on testing Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado.

For the visiting Padres

Patience at the plate: This is a Cubs pitching staff that throws a lot of strikes. However, San Diego needs to be selective, especially considering the emotional wave they’re riding. The lineup has plenty of productive swings in them, but quick double plays, first-pitch flyouts, and failing to take walks are the ways that San Diego can beat themselves.

Continued bullpen efficiency: While the Padres’ bullpen has been lockdown so far, the key to their success has been their ability to throw strikes. They’ve been effective in the zone and have avoided walks and long innings. They’re a big part of why the Padres lead the MLB in ERA by a whole .4 of a run.

Willy Warren

A 17-year-old San Diego native, Willy Warren is a baseball fan at heart who created High Leverage Baseball, a combination of around-the-league statistical analysis and breakdowns on X, and daily newsletters on the TikTok platform. Willy passionately studies Journalism at San Dieguito Academy, and is working to become billingual in Spanish to assist in communicating with Latin-born players and coaches.