Cubs Bullpen Breakdown: Who's Hot, Who's Not After Month One

With a 20-13 record through their first 33 games, the Chicago Cubs' most obvious weakness in 2025 has been the bullpen.

Chicago has already shuffled through more than a dozen relievers in the first month of the season, and they are giving their arms a short leash to settle into their jobs. This aggressiveness is likely an effort to establish a bullpen structure quickly and foster an environment for winning.

Although the structure is definitely not sound after one month, there have been some bright spots at the back end and unexpected emergences that have given Manager Craig Counsell a variety of options to choose from.

13. Ryan Brasier

Veteran reliever Ryan Brasier only made one appearance for the Cubs during the Tokyo Series before going on the 15-day injured list with a groin strain. The 37-year-old was expected to be an injury risk since he spent about half of the 2024 season sidelined with a calf issue.

We haven't really seen what Brasier can give the Cubs this year or if he still has gas left in the tank. But the Cubs need him to come back strong and provide more stability in the later innings. Brasier has reportedly completed multiple bullpen sessions and could be back in early-to-mid May if he doesn't suffer a setback.

12. Luke Little

Southpaw Luke Little got another brief chance in MLB in mid-April, but he was completely ineffective in his only outing against the Padres. Little walked four batters and gave up a vital run in a game the Cubs had an excellent chance of winning.

Craig Counsell and Jed Hoyer are being very aggressive with their roster decisions in their quest for the playoffs in 2025. Little was immediately sent back down to Triple-A after his horrendous outing. The 24-year-old still has minor-league options and immense potential with his big fastball velocity, but he needs to figure out how to keep the ball over the plate to make it on this roster.

11. Eli Morgan

Eli Morgan was expected to be a lock for the middle innings when the Cubs traded for him in the offseason. But things didn't work out that way through Morgan's first seven games, where he posted a 12.27 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP.

After his second bullpen meltdown against the San Diego Padres on April 14, Morgan was placed on the injured list with right elbow impingement. Morgan reportedly received a second opinion and was shut down from throwing after being diagnosed with ulnar neuritis. The right-hander has a tentative return date for June.

Morgan was a mainstay of the Cleveland Guardians' bullpen last year, posting a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings. He has the potential to contribute to the Cubs in the second half, so hopefully his elbow issues won't require surgery.

10. Nate Pearson

Nate Pearson was a big reason for the bullpen's success in the second half of 2024. After the Cubs acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays, he collected four holds and struck out 23 batters over 26.1 innings pitched with a 2.73 ERA.

But that success hasn't transferred over to 2025, as Pearson surrendered 10 earned runs in his 8.2 innings of work with seven walks and five strikeouts. Pearson was seen as a setup man and even a fill-in closer heading into the year, but he was sent back to Triple-A on April 15 after his disappointing results.

Even in Iowa, Pearson hasn't been that good, giving up six runs in 3.1 innings of work. The 28-year-old is running out of opportunities to prove himself with Chicago, so the former first-rounder needs to turn things around quickly.

9. Gavin Hollowell

Although Gavin Hollowell only appeared once for the Cubs, the 6'7 right-hander used his crossfire delivery to put up two scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

8. Ethan Roberts

Right-hander Ethan Roberts has failed to impress this year. Counsell did not use him in many high-leverage spots, and he was sent back down to Triple-A after a blowup outing against the Phillies on April 26. Although he limited hard hits (26.9%) in his nine appearances, Roberts failed to keep the ball on the ground or fool hitters.

With a fastball that sits around 92 mph, Roberts can't afford to give up fly balls too often, and if his stuff isn't generating strikeouts, it could be a problem. The 27-year-old still has two minor league options on his deal, and we probably haven't seen the last of him this year. But it feels like there are better options for the Cubs.

7. Drew Pomeranz

The Cubs seemingly dug Drew Pomeranz's career out of the grave when they traded for him in April, sending cash to the Mariners for the lefty. It's still very early to judge Pomeranz, but he has yet to give up an earned run or hit in his first three games.

After not throwing a pitch in MLB since the 2021 season, Pomeranz came out guns blazing against the Philadelphia Phillies last week. The 36-year-old only needed seven pitches to strike out Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, two of the best power hitters in the league right now. If he can continue to succeed, Pomeranz would be another insanely valuable find for the Cubs since they didn't have to give up any players to acquire him last month.

6. Daniel Palencia

Daniel Palencia may have finally figured things out. The 25-year-old has bounced between Triple-A and the major league roster since 2023, where he struggled with walks and command issues. While he has issued four free passes in his first 8.2 innings this year, Palencia has also limited batters to just a .103 batting average while consistently hitting triple digits with his fastball.

Limiting the walks is key, but the 25-year-old has showcased electric life on his fastball, and he is poised to be an intimidating weapon in the bullpen this year. Counsell has already used him in a few high-leverage spots, and he is gaining more trust as the season goes on.

5. Julian Merryweather

Julian Merryweather was on the shelf with a knee injury for the majority of 2024, but he seems to be returning to form with the Cubs this year. The 33-year-old already has 7 holds and 10 strikeouts in his first 13 games with a 2.25 ERA.

Merryweather's fastball has shown signs of good life and averaged 96.2 mph this year. The veteran reliever is also generating an excellent groundball rate of 57.1. Like most of the Cubs' relievers this year, Merryweather's walk rate is a bit high a 11.8%, but that should even out over the course of the season. The main goal for Merryweather is to stay healthy because he is showing he can still attack the zone and deliver quality innings.

4. Brad Keller

After one month, it looks like the Cubs have resurrected Brad Keller's career. The 29-year-old has battled poor performance and injuries in recent years, which has forced him to convert to the bullpen. 2025 is the first year Keller has looked like an effective MLB reliever, and he is reaching career-high levels of velocity on his fastball, which is averaging 96.8 mph in April.

Keller's 4.97 ERA looks high because of a blowup outing against the Dodgers on April 22, but Keller hasn't given up an earned run in nine of his 12 outings this year while striking out 16 hitters through 12.2 innings. Keller's FIP (2.19) and xERA (2.23) show how valuable he's been, giving the Cubs another excellent diamond-in-the-rough find.

Keller signed with Chicago on a minor league contract, and they took a chance by adding him to the active roster after his solid performance in Spring Training. So far, he has exceeded expectations and used his electric stuff to help the Cubs in high-leverage situations.

3. Caleb Thielbar

The Cubs signed lefty Caleb Thielbar to a one-year contract worth $2.75 million this winter, and he has finally given the team a reliable left-handed option out of the bullpen. There were concerns given Thielbar is 38 years old and he is coming off a down year (5.32), but he is emerging as one of Counsell's most trusted options.

Thielbar already has one save and three holds in 11.2 innings, 10 strikeouts, a 3.86 ERA, and he has limited batters to a .150 batting average. The southpaw is also limiting hitters to a 29% hard hit rate, which ranks in the 91st percentile on Baseball Savant.

2. Ryan Pressly

Chicago's closer got off to a rough start this year, giving up three earned runs and four walks in his first trio of appearances, where he nearly blew a save against the Arizona Diamondbacks if it weren't for the heroics of shortstop Dansby Swanson.

But Pressly has settled in to deliver 10 straight scoreless outings since that game, where he has a 2.08 ERA and four saves in as many opportunities. This is the version of Pressly that the Cubs were hoping for when they traded for him in the offseason, and he's already provided some stability to the ninth inning. After losing their closer and several setup pitchers to injuries last year, the Cubs are hoping Pressly can keep this momentum and remain healthy going forward.

Injury concerns have popped up, as Pressly missed a few games after having his knee drained in late April. Luckily, the Cubs have another great option for the ninth.

1. Porter Hodge

Porter Hodge has built nicely on his breakout 2024 campaign. The 24-year-old has arguably been the most effective reliever for the Cubs this year, and his 4.80 ERA does not tell the whole story. Hodge's ERA was dramatically ballooned by one bad outing against the Diamondbacks on April 18, when he surrendered six runs in 0.2 innings of work.

This blemish is Hodge's only bad outing of the year. Remarkably, Hodge has recorded a scoreless outing in 13 of his 16 total appearances this year, with 16 strikeouts through his first 15 innings. The 24-year-old has also served as the team's backup closer when Pressly was unavailable.

Hodge is still very young, and his continued development as a setup man has potentially put him on a path to be the team's closer in the future. Pressly will be a free agent after 2025, and it seems unlikely the Cubs would bring him back given his age (36). Even if the Cubs bring someone else in to handle the ninth inning in 2026, Hodge is poised for an important role in this bullpen for years to come.