This Should Be the Chicago Cubs Opening Day Lineup
Opening Day is here, so let’s do the most annoying fan thing in baseball, which is to argue about the starting lineup. Honestly, the Chicago Cubs have a deep lineup, and most of the time it won’t actually matter who bats where, but for Thursday’s game against the Washington Nationals the Cubs won’t have Seiya Suzuki in right field, which will change a few things.
Suzuki sprained his right knee, sliding into second base during Japan’s quarterfinals game against Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic earlier in March. The Cubs officially placed Suzuki on the 10-day injured list this week, so he won’t be around until at least April 1.
One of the big questions left unanswered on the eve of Opening Day for the Cubs is who will start in place of Suzuki in right field? It could be Michael Conforto, Dylan Carlson, or Matt Shaw.
Looking at the team’s final game of the 2025 postseason against the Milwaukee Brewers, and really throughout the team’s playoff run, Craig Counsell’s starting lineup featured a lefty-righty back-and-forth setup 1-8, with Matt Shaw batting ninth and Michael Busch leading off.
It’s not that simple for Thursday because, for one, Suzuki is out, and, for two, instead of Kyle Tucker in the middle of the lineup, rookie Moises Ballesteros will be the starting DH. Although Ballesteros flashed some great bat-to-ball skills during his brief stint with the Cubs in 2025, the left-handed hitter isn’t expected to be in the middle of this year’s lineup, at least not out of the gate.
This was my original Opening Day lineup.
However, I do want to make a few changes for what I think Counsell will end up doing on Opening Day without Suzuki.
- Michael Busch
- Alex Bregman
- Ian Happ
- Pete Crow-Armstrong
- Nico Hoerner
- Moises Ballesteros
- Carson Kelly
- Dansby Swanson
- Michael Conforto
I still don’t love it, but it kind of keeps the lefty-righty order for the most part. Plus, Conforto can be easily pinch-hit for if there’s a need for it against a tough lefty, and fans won’t have to worry about Busch ever coming out because Counsell has already said the first baseman has earned the playing time against left-handed pitching.
I like Busch at leadoff because he was a monster against right-handed pitching in 2025. He posted a 151 wRC+ and hit 30 home runs off righties. Set the tone early and make the opposing starter uncomfortable against a very good hitter that provides a huge power threat.
But let’s hear it from the rest of you. How would you write out the Cubs Opening Day lineup?