Chicago Cubs: Bullpen has shouldered the load for the Cubs all season

The Cubs feature a deep bullpen with a lot of dangerous arms

Chicago picked up Steve Cishek this winter and he quickly became Maddon’s go-to guy out of the pen. On the year, he leads the bullpen in appearances and innings pitched with 60 and 56 2/3, respectively. He’s done that while posting a 1.75 ERA and leading the bullpen with 63 strikeouts.

Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards have both continued to be reliable options for the Cubs, each posting a sub-2.50 ERA. Strop has been the Cubs’ long reliable set-up man but also locked down 10 saves on the season. Edwards has battled injuries but still managed to post a 12.29 K/9 rate, the highest in the bullpen. On the year he’s struck out 56 batters in just 41 innings of work.

The Cubs even bolstered their bullpen further at the trade deadline by acquiring Jesse Chavez and Kintzler. As if that wasn’t enough, they signed veteran left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, as well. They have set themselves up with a number of pieces to make a run in the postseason.

In an era where the bullpen is as important as ever the Cubs feature one of the best in the game. Maddon will certainly lean on them down the stretch and they will continue to be a crucial part of the Cubs’ success.