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Sunday Night Baseball coverage on ESPN begins at 7 PM ET, and the matchup brings a familiar pairing back into the national spotlight: the Chicago Cubs and defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Although we’re only in mid-April, this will already be the fifth meeting between these two clubs in 2025.
Their season began nine days earlier than the rest of MLB with the Tokyo Series, part of the MLB World Tour in Japan, where the Dodgers swept the Cubs in a two-game set. Now, the series shifts to Chavez Ravine to close out a three-game weekend clash, with both teams looking to make an early-season statement.
The Cubs’ early record of 9-6 coming into this series might not reflect how dangerous this lineup has looked. After a sluggish showing in Japan, where they managed just four total runs, the offense has completely flipped the script. Since returning stateside, the Cubs lead the MLB in runs scored (96 in 15 games, 6.4 per game), their .350 team OBP ranks 3rd in MLB, and they’re top 10 in both batting average (.250) and OPS (.763).
Key to this offensive onslaught has been Kyle Tucker, Chicago’s headline offseason acquisition, who is slashing .322 with a 1.017 OPS, 5 HRs and 16 RBI. He struggled in Tokyo but has since looked like an early MVP candidate. Seiya Suzuki also rediscovered his form after going hitless in Tokyo, now hitting .300 with a .969 OPS and 4 HRs, and Nico Hoerner, who missed the Tokyo trip, is batting .326 with just 2 strikeouts and 6 steals in 11 games.
The problem? Pitching. The Cubs’ team ERA of 4.47 ranks 24th, and their WHIP (1.42) is 27th. They’ve allowed 18 home runs, 3rd most in MLB, and opponents are hitting .265 against them, 25th among all teams.
Injuries are already starting to test their depth, too. Lefty ace Justin Steele, who started Game 2 in Tokyo, is now on the IL. Steele was scheduled to start this SNB game, but now Sunday’s starter will likely be either veteran Jameson Taillon, who could move up a day thanks to Thursday’s off-day, or swingman Colin Rea. There’s also an outside chance of a spot start from Jordan Wicks or Cade Horton, but the Cubs called up reliever Ethan Roberts rather than a starter, hinting at a bullpen-heavy approach if needed.
The Dodgers are off to a 10-4 start despite early adversity and road bumps. After an 8-0 stretch to start the season, their best start since 1955, the Dodgers dropped back-to-back road series to the Phillies and Nationals before returning home to host Chicago. Still, this team remains a powerhouse.
They’ve hit a league-best 28 home runs in 14 games. That’s two more than any other team, despite hitting just .230. They’ve been feast-or-famine at the plate, with an OPS of .775 (6th in MLB), largely powered by their .461 slugging percentage (2nd).
Shohei Ohtani has lived up to the hype in LA. He’s batting over .300 with a 1.000+ OPS and 4 home runs, including 1 in Japan. Will Smith leads the team with a .353 average and a 1.000 OPS. Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman are each tied for the team lead with 5 homers, and even utility man Kiké Hernández has chipped in 4, largely due to innings played at first base due to Freddie Freeman’s 10-Day IL stint – Freeman was just activated for this series.
On the mound, LA owns a strong 3.22 ERA (6th in MLB) despite issuing the most walks in the league by a wide margin. The Dodgers’ WHIP sits in the middle of the pack (1.28), but they’ve allowed just 9 home runs and hold opponents to a .204 batting average – 5th best.
They’ll send Tyler Glasnow to the hill Sunday night. The 6’8” right-hander dazzled in his Dodgers debut against the Braves (5 IP, 8 K, 0 ER), struggled with command in Philly (5 BB, 5 ER, 2 IP) and now returns to Dodger Stadium looking to reset. Glasnow’s frame, release point, velocity and heavy breaking stuff make life difficult for hitters unfamiliar with him, and the Cubs lineup hasn’t seen him much. Veteran Justin Turner is 0-for-14 against Glasnow with 10 Ks, while the trio of Swanson, Tucker and Berti are just 3-for-11 combined.
This game comes down to two things: the Dodgers’ ability to punish mistakes and whether the Cubs can patch together enough quality innings on the mound to keep up. If Taillon starts, Dodgers hitters own a combined .868 OPS against him in 66 career at-bats, with Ohtani and Teoscar combining for 4 HRs. If it’s Rea, things get worse: Dodgers batters have a staggering .990 OPS off him, and several have gone deep – Ohtani, Smith and Andy Pages included.
With Glasnow pitching at home and facing a Cubs offense that’s hot but also strikeout-prone (especially vs big-breaking stuff), the edge leans toward LA. If Glasnow gets through five or six innings with the lead, the Dodgers’ elite bullpen should be able to close the door.
Meanwhile, the Cubs’ bullpen has been inconsistent, and a bullpen-heavy game against LA’s stacked lineup could be asking too much. The Dodgers have proven they can jump all over second-tier arms, especially at home and in primetime.
Ohtani is slugging .593, has fared well vs Taillon and Rea in the past and has been electric under the bright lights. Whether he gets there with one swing or two base hits, we like Ohtani to deliver again on Sunday night.
Final Score Prediction: Dodgers 7, Cubs 3
Zach has been a published sports writer since 2018 specializing in college football & basketball, MLB and NFL content for multiple publications.