The Chicago Cubs are currently sitting at first place in the NL Central Division, but there’s plenty of talk about how they can be better, especially as a team with deep postseason aspirations.
When talk turns to weaknesses, though, the knee-jerk reaction is to call out “bullpen.”
And how could you blame shell-shocked Cubs fans for being hyper focused on the team’s relief corps? Last year’s early season bullpen collapse was the stuff of nightmares and it pretty much ended any chance of a playoff run before the mid-way mark of the campaign. Bullpen fractures earlier this season generated vivid flashbacks to last year’s calamity.
The Chicago Cubs Bullpen Is No Weakness At All
May 31, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Pomeranz (45) delivers against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
But the reality is that the Cubs bullpen, at least as it is right now, is pretty damn solid. As a matter of fact, per The Athletic, since April 19, the Cubs have the best bullpen in baseball, sporting a 2.44 ERA– and that includes Ryan Pressly’s disastrous 8-earned run appearance against the San Francisco Giants on May 6.
As of Sunday morning, they haven’t allowed an earned run in 22 innings of relief and there are a couple of prominent names in the pen, now with double-digit innings pitched, still sporting a 0.00 ERA.
Unexpected Treasures
Managing a bullpen and maneuvering it to success is tough, a little like trying to tame waves of a raging tsunami. Of the eight bullpen pitchers on the 26-man roster right now, only three were on the domestic opening day roster. Brad Keller was a non-roster invitee to spring training. Drew Pomeranz and Chris Flexen were not even on anyone’s radar coming into the 2025 season. Free agent pickup Caleb Thielbar was thought of as a minor acquisition, but he’s proven to be a tremendous asset, currently sporting a 2.29 ERA in 23 appearances.
“Look, Brad Keller’s pitching wonderfully,” Cubs manager Counsell told The Athletic. “He’s doing a heck of a job, and that was a great addition. Drew’s been awesome, and Drew’s handled the role of whatever we’ve asked of him. He’s done a great job of it. We’re pitching really well, particularly in the bullpen.”
The team’s current closer Daniel Palencia, with his 100+ mph fastball and his 1.74 ERA, wasn’t even on the big league roster until mid-April, but he’s managed to leapfrog offseason acquisition Pressly and the injured Porter Hodge for the shutdown gig.
The Secret To Bullpen Success
“Just always having options,” Counsell said, regarding the key to having a successful bullpen. “By that, I mean it’s a hard job and there tends to be some performance variance. I think Daniel is a great example of this. It didn’t go great for him last year. But there’s every reason to be excited about what he could provide. A lot of times that’s how you have to look at those guys. You just want to have as many of them as you can. Our job is to get them to the place that he’s in right now and keep him there for as long as we can.”
And there’s reason to believe that the bullpen could find significant reinforcement in the coming weeks/months.
Ryan Brasier was recently reactivated and has yet to allow an earned run in four appearances. The team recently picked up former New York Met Genesis Cabrera. Hodge will be back at some point. When Shota Imanaga returns to the rotation, there will also be one more long relief arm added to the pool of relievers. Then, there’s the veteran Pressly, whose metrics are down, but who has also yet to surrender an earned run in his eight appearances and seven innings since his May 6 disaster.
Plus, there’s also the trade deadline and who might be picked up by then.
So, this bullpen weakness is actually not so much of a weakness after all. Tons of credit has to go to Counsell and to pitching coach Tommy Hottovy for managing this moving mess of ebbs and flows. Credit also has to go to the front office for picking up quality pieces on the fly.
Now, we just cross our fingers that it all holds together.
Chicago Cubs prospect’s insane numbers demand major league attention
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
