Left-handed starter Matthew Boyd is in his first year pitching for the Chicago Cubs, and has been nothing short of amazing this season. With both Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga injured, Boyd has been the Cubs’ ace for the first half of the season. Though the southpaw hasn’t attained very much media attention, he deserves to be talked about a whole lot more.
Matthew Boyd’s Road to the Cubs
This offseason, the Cubs signed Boyd to a two-year, $29 million deal. This is extremely good value considering the level he has been pitching at. He has been in MLB since 2015 and has spent most of his time with the Detroit Tigers while also playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and Cleveland Guardians. Boyd has been a starter everywhere except the Mariners in 2022 but hasn’t pitched a full season since 2019 with the Tigers. He spent seven full seasons in Detroit but never found his groove there, posting a 4.00+ ERA in every season but one. In 2024, Boyd only started eight games for the Guardians but pitched very well. He pitched 39 2/3 innings with a 2.72 ERA, a 1.134 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts. The Cubs decided to take a chance on him in free agency, and that gamble sure paid off.
Boyd’s Stellar 2025 Performance
With the 2025 season just over halfway finished, it is safe to say that Matthew Boyd was a very valuable signing. The Cubs were expecting third to fifth-starter numbers but have gotten ace numbers from him. This season, Boyd is 8-3 with a 2.65 ERA and has posted a 1.084 WHIP in 98 2/3 innings. Boyd has proven that he can go deep into games, considering he has pitched six or more innings in 12 of his 17 starts this season. He has been the definition of consistent, as he has given up four or fewer earned runs in every start this year. Additionally, Boyd is one of four NL pitchers with a sub-3.00 ERA and 12 quality starts so far this season. The list contains some pretty elite company:
NL starting pitchers with 12 quality starts and an ERA under 3.00 🔥
Paul Skenes
Zack Wheeler
Logan Webb
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐝— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 2, 2025
Matthew Boyd has been one of the only bright spots in this Cubs rotation. With Shota Imanaga missing nearly two months due to injury, he has been doing his best to anchor the starting pitching. Unfortunately, the Cubs’ starters had the 7th-worst ERA in June. But, with possible trades for new starting pitching and Imanaga returning, that high ERA could be much lower in July, especially if Boyd keeps pitching like he has been. In his last seven starts, he has pitched 43 1/3 innings with an outstanding 1.66 ERA. Even though the starters as a whole struggled in June, Boyd brought his best stuff.
Possible All-Star?
Matthew Boyd has pitched so well that he could very well receive consideration for the All-Star Game. While there is some really good pitching in the National League, Boyd boasts the sixth-best ERA and is tied for second in wins. Although it may not be likely for Boyd to receive an All-Star bid, he deserves a whole lot more attention for all the work he has done for the Cubs this year.
Main Photo Credit: © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
