4 Cubs who drastically exceeded expectations in 2024

2. Michael Busch established himself as a legitimate answer at first base, both offensively and defensively

Last winter, Chicago acquired Michael Busch from the Dodgers, giving the former first-rounder his first real opportunity to play on an everyday basis. He settled in nicely for the Cubs, riding the ups and downs of 162 games as well as one can expect a rookie to, finishing the year with solid numbers across-the-board.

Busch appeared in all but 10 games for Chicago, putting up a 118 OPS+ with 28 doubles and 21 home runs. He even graded out above-average defensively, which is worth mentioning because it was his first full season playing at first base professionally.

If you go into 2025 with Busch as your everyday first baseman, no one is complaining. Now, if Hoyer somehow pulls off a trade for someone like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Busch is the odd man out, but I don't think anyone would be complaining. His good eye at the plate would make him valuable coming off the bench, and he has experience at multiple other positions, as well.

3: Rookie right-hander Porter Hodge came out of nowhere to be a shutdown late-inning reliever

Chicago Cubs rookie Porter Hodge made his big-league debut in late May and never looked back.

He has barely a dozen relief appearances at Triple-A under his belt, but that didn't matter for the young right-hander, who joined the relief mix and later took over ninth-inning duties late in the year following the downfalls of both Adbert Alzolay and Hector Neris.

Hodge made 39 appearances on the year, working to a 1.88 ERA with a 31.7 percent strikeout rate. You have to be careful betting too heavily on him heading into 2025 given a brutal 11.6 percent walk rate that's the reddest of red flags out there, but he overcame that by limiting contact (.179 xBA).

His sweeper was particularly effective, with opponents batting just .070 against the pitch and slugging only .105. Along with Tyson Miller and Jorge Lopez, Hodge helped stabilize a bullpen that really struggled early on in the season but wound up being one of the Cubs' biggest strengths down the stretch.

4: Nate Pearson proved to be a big trade deadline acquisition, living up to his potential in the Cubs bullpen

Hoyer was clear that the moves he made at this year's trade deadline were focused on 2025 and beyond. The pick-ups of Isaac Paredes and Nate Pearson fit the bill, with both players under team control for several more years.

The expectations were, at least initially, higher for Paredes - but it was Pearson who really turned some heads. He appeared to work out some of the control issues that had plagued him since the Blue Jays drafted him in the first round back in 2017, cutting his walk rate to 1.4 BB/9, well below his career mark of 4.1 BB/9.

He brought some much-needed firepower to the Cubs pen, averaging just under 98 MPH on his fastball, placing him in the 96th percentile. In 19 appearances following the trade, Pearson worked to a 2.73 ERA and 0.987 WHIP - and he heads into the offseason with a chance to really solidify himself as a key member of this pitching staff next year.