2 Cubs relievers ranked among the nastiest arms in baseball in 2024

The bullpen could be a strength for Craig Counsell's team in a critical 2025 campaign.

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Last fall, Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledged he fell short in building a bullpen that could bring consistency and results for 162 games. His latest move, a trade for longtime Houston Astros late-inning staple Ryan Pressly, brings invaluable experience to a group that, at least on paper, looks to have a lot of promise.

Two members of the projected bullpen mix, Pressly and right-hander Nate Pearson, could play especially valuable roles if they can effectively deploy their respective arsenals. Why these two? According to the stuff+ metric, they rank among the nastiest arms in all of Major League Baseball.

Pearson ranked tied for 26th alongside the Astros' Bryan Abreu and Padres' Jason Adam, while Pressly was in the mix at #46 flanked by the Rays' Pete Fairbanks and Reds ace Hunter Greene. Now, both are a far cry from the Cubs' near-miss bullpen target Tanner Scott, who ranked fourth in the league in stuff+ but it's still good to see a couple familiar faces on the list.

On a less encouraging note, there are several former Cubs pitchers on this list, as well: Jeremiah Estrada, who the Cubs infamously dropped after the 2023 season, quickly established himself as a premier reliever in San Diego. Last year, the right-hander pitched to a 2.07 FIP in 62 appearances, punching out nearly 14 hitters per nine. He checks in at #7 on the stuff+ rankings.

Chicago also cut ties with right-hander Trevor Megill, who narrowly trailed Estrada on the list, following the 2021 season. He's now a critical piece of the reigning NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers bullpen and is coming off a 2024 season in which he made 48 appearances and worked to a 3.10 ERA.

If the Cubs are going to challenge Milwaukee in 2025, the bullpen will have to demonstrate more effectiveness, especially early on in the year. The team can't afford to dig itself an early hole again and hope to make up ground as the season goes on. With Pressly penciled into the closer's role, Porter Hodge slides into a setup role and a bevy of names will compete to round out the group coming out of camp.

Pearson could slide into a swingman role amidst reports the team is looking to semi-stretch him out before the season gets started. This is a big year for the former top prospect, who looked much better after coming to Chicago in a deadline deal with the Blue Jays. If he can maintain the success he had down the stretch last summer, the move could wind up being a steal for Jed Hoyer and the front office.

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