Chicago Cubs: Don’t forget about Pedro Strop

The Chicago Cubs have a number of impressive relievers available in their arsenal but arguably their best and most consistent arm this season has quietly been Pedro Strop.

The Chicago Cubs bullpen has been nothing short of sensational this season, in fact, it’s been one of the best units in baseball. That’s quite an accomplishment for this team considering they didn’t trust anyone other than Wade Davis during last season’s post-season run.

The Cubs bullpen has a different look to it this season, losing closer Wade Davis and longtime setup-man Hector Rondon but they haven’t missed a beat. They added veterans Steve Cishek and Brandon Morrow and its led them to the third-best ERA in all of baseball.

Strop’s consistency

Cishek has been the team’s workhorse appearing in a team-high 19 games while Morrow has saved nine out of 10 games. Carl Edwards Jr. leads the bullpen with an astonishing 31 strikeouts in just 17 2/3 innings and Brian Duensing leads the team with a measly ERA of 0.68. His numbers may not be as flashy as his fellow relievers, but Pedro Strop’s consistency has been a huge reason for the bullpen’s success this season.

In past seasons, Strop has had his fair share of issues holding leads in games that the Cubs should have won. Due to the frequency at which he seemed to have a meltdown that led to a Cubs loss, there were times I would hold my breath when he was on the mound.

However, this year seems different and I don’t feel that way watching Strop on the mound in late-inning situations. He has always had good stuff but this year he has been lights out for the Cubs.

Strop looks as good as ever in Cubs uniform.

This season Strop has been the Cubs strongest reliever when it comes to limiting baserunners, posting a team-best 0.94 WHIP. His ability to limit traffic on the bases has led him to a 1.59 ERA.

Next: What does run-differential tell us?

Strop has only surrendered three runs all year, all of which came in one bad appearance against the Cardinals on April 17.  Since then he has appeared in 9 games and pitched 9.2 innings of scoreless baseball.

If Strop consistently pitch’s lights out on a daily basis the Cubs could have something they didn’t have last October, a scary reliable bullpen.