Chicago Cubs: Kyle Ryan is quietly putting together a solid season

In a tumultuous season, Chicago Cubs lefty Kyle Ryan is one piece to that puzzle who has found a way to consistently prove himself in the bullpen.

Following the 2017 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago Cubs made a point to improve their bullpen. While we saw solid campaigns from the likes of Wade Davis, Carl Edwards Jr., Brian Duensing, and Pedro Strop, the rest of the bullpen was simply not as good.

Up until that point, Ryan had spent the entirety of his career with the Detroit Tigers. A former 12th round pick in the 2010 Amateur Player Draft, Ryan did find some level of success in Detroit.  His strongest campaign came in 2016 when he pitched to a 3.07 ERA across 55 2/3 innings, and he finished his 128-inning career in Motown with a 3.87 ERA.

After the bottom fell out for Ryan in 2017, the Cubs decided to bring him in on a minor league contract. In his first season at Triple-A Iowa in 2018, Ryan pitched well enough for Chicago to extend a big league offer after he finished the year with a 2.86 ERA across 66 innings. Since his call-up at the beginning of April, Ryan has been one of the best arms out of the bullpen.