Fun with Cubs 2025 photo day - Chicago Sports Today

The skipper | Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

The annual ritual always produces some interesting poses.

One of the rituals for Major League Baseball’s players every spring is to pose for team and media photographers. These shots get used in a variety of ways; you’re probably most used to seeing them on player pages on various websites, or in the pitcher previews I do here at BCB.

If you think this kind of work is easy, think again. The players had to report to Sloan Park before dawn Monday to begin the shoot at 7 a.m. As a result, some of the poses turn out to be quirky, fun or otherwise notable and those are the photos I’ve chosen to share with you above. If a player doesn’t appear here, it means his poses were… pretty ordinary.

Enjoy the selection below of a couple dozen photos from Monday’s shoot, taken by Steph Chambers of Getty Images and Rick Scuteri of Imagn Images. You’ll see a good cross-section of the spring roster here, including some guys you know well and others… you might not.

Matt Shaw thinking about making the Opening Day roster

A tip o’ the cap from Julian Merryweather

Ethan Roberts wins the “Cool Glasses of Camp” award

PCA showing off his new hairstyle… and bat

Sorry, Jordan Wicks, your glasses aren’t as cool as Ethan Roberts’

Some guys look real young (James Triantos, who just turned 22)

Both hands tipping the cap from Ryan Pressly

Michael Busch’s dentist is probably pleased with this look

MLB: Chicago Cubs-Media Day — Nico Hoerner, lost in thought

Dansby Swanson, beard and hair neatly trimmed