2025 is off to a much better start for the Chicago Cubs than we could've hoped for. Facing the toughest schedule of any team in March and April, they've managed to hang with the class of the National and American League, winning the season series against the Diamondbacks and taking series from the Dodgers, Padres, and Rangers. They still have tough opponents ahead, but a 14-10 start is impressive considering the caliber of competition thus far.
Also encouraging is that experts and projection systems are buying into this team as a real threat. MLB has the Cubs at #4 on their power rankings, and Baseball Reference recently gave the team the best odds in baseball to win the World Series. Their biggest offseason acquisitions have, for the most part, exceeded expectations in a big way to propel this team to new heights.
Not everything has been perfect, though. There are still noticeable flaws on the roster that have been exacerbated against great teams. Injuries and underperformance have also derailed some plans and created more questions for the immediate future. Things are good right now, but the 162-game season can bring with it a lot of questions that need to be answered before they blossom into bigger problems. Let's look at three of these questions that aren't particularly close to getting an answer, thus far.
1. Can the Cubs assemble an acceptable bullpen with what they have?
Early in the season, the biggest point of criticism levied at the Cubs has, once again, been the bullpen. Jed Hoyer's controversial approach of relying on reclamation pieces and cheaper options instead of more established arms has again caused early-season woes, with a collective 5.19 ERA ranking their bullpen as the fifth worst in MLB heading into the Dodgers series at Wrigley. The unit is responsible for some of the team's ugliest losses of the year thus far, including a disastrous blown lead to the Diamondbacks in the eighth courtesy of an eight-run inning.
Every team has bullpen issues at some point, and thankfully, the Cubs' offense has been good enough to pick the team up. They managed to save a near all-time brutal meltdown against Arizona last Friday after Porter Hodge and company gave up a 10-spot in the eighth with a 6-run lead. The defense, also, hasn't picked up the arms in a few crucial moments. But there have been too many moments where the corps has looked downright uncompetitive.
The churn has already begun, with Eli Morgan going to the injured list and Nate Pearson getting demoted while Ethan Roberts and Daniel Palencia have been called up. Both have been reliable thus far, and Roberts has become a particular favorite of Craig Counsell. Their other veteran arms also appear to be stabilizing, including newly-acquired closer Ryan Pressly, who has had several consecutive sharper outings after opening the year with far too many walks. Since showing up to spring with surprising velocity, Brad Keller has also been a revelation for the team with a 3.00 ERA and 1.71 FIP, at least until his own walk-laden outing against the Dodgers on Tuesday.
With an ever-expanding pile of arms in the minors and injured pitchers returning like Tyson Miller, they certainly have a lot of options to work with in addition to their major league group. Their current bullpen has shown they're capable of some impressive outings, but they're frighteningly prone to complete meltdowns when it's least acceptable. The question remains if the Cubs can get the best out of their current roster and make do, at least until they can look for a proper lockdown arm at the deadline. The circle of trust is a revolving door right now, and they'll have to get more shutdown innings if they want to stop the churn and build some confidence.