The Chicago Cubs front office has made sure to address the back end of the team’s bullpen entering the 2025 season. In 2024, the later innings were not consistently taken care of and that put a strain on the starting rotation that made it difficult for the team to win more games than they had the year prior.
Porter Hodge was a major help to the bullpen toward the end of his summer as he put up a 1.88 ERA in 39 appearances. The former 13th-round draft pick’s successful first stint in the big leagues also included a 3-1 record with a 0.88 WHIP and nine saves.
While Hodge was fantastic to watch last season, it was clear that help was needed to be brought in this offseason for the 23-year-old. Ryan Pressly and Ryan Brasier were the two notable names added by the front office this winter that will look to make an impact. Pressly is expected to serve as the team’s closer, and Hodge is looking forward to sharing the mound with him this season.
Chicago Cubs’ Porter Hodge excited to work with Ryan Pressly
Hodge told the media on Monday he believes that Pressly can be a great mentor for him this year regardless of how the end of the bullpen shapes out for the Cubs. A young arm like Hodge can benefit from veterans around him who have pitched on the biggest stage in key moments.
Pressly began his big-league career with Minnesota in 2013 but didn’t become a true ninth-inning guy until the 2021 season with Houston. That year saw the right-hander record 26 saves and posted the best single-season ERA in his career with a 2.25 mark.
The veteran spent seven years with the Astros and was the definition of a consistent arm in his time there. Pressly had a 2.81 ERA in Houston to with 111 saves in 333.0 innings pitched. It wasn’t until the Astros brought in Josh Hader last offseason that the organization moved Pressly out of the closer spot, which prompted a trade to Chicago in January.
Porter Hodge will still have a big role for the Chicago Cubs
Despite some depth and firepower being added to the backend, Hodge’s development at the big league level should still be a top priority for the Cubs this season. Bringing in pieces like Pressly and Brasier is great for the 2025 squad, but the hope is for Hodge to be a member of this bullpen for years to come.
Hodge also mentioned to the media that he is developing his splitter. which would add a whole new aspect to his approach on the hill. The right-hander’s arsenal this past season included that splitter, a sweeper, and his four-seam fastball.
The splitter from Hodge was only seen eight times in total last year, so he essentially worked with a two-pitch mix between his heater and sweeper. If he has a second breaking ball he can go to at any point, it could cause trouble for the rest of the National League.
If Hodge can take what he learned in the big leagues in 2024 and the advice he receives from his new teammates throughout 2025, a further breakout could be inevitable for the homegrown product. Chicago would love nothing more than for Hodge to be a lock in the back end of their bullpen for the long run, and he’s shown the stuff to be just that.
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