Forgotten Cubs pitching prospect is begging for another chance

Iowa Cubs reliever Luke Little looks ready for another shot at the big leagues after a strong start to his 2025 campaign.

Through his first 15 appearances, the 24-year-old sports a clean 1.17 ERA while limiting opposing hitters to just a .083 batting average.

As Des Moines Register reporter Tommy Birch pointed out, Little has only walked five batters, which is extremely important for the young reliever's development. Standing at 6'8, Little has always featured great power on the mound as his fastball velocity consistently operates in the upper 90s. But command has alluded him at times, and allowing too many walks has been a major issue for Little at times.

This was the case when the Cubs called up Little on April 15. He only made one appearance out of the Cubs bullpen and was unable to complete an inning of work thanks to walking four batters. Little was sent back to Iowa immediately as the Cubs are seemingly unwilling to mess around with relievers who aren't sharp.

Little made 30 appearances for the Cubs in 2024 where he struck out 28 batters in 26 innings, but allowed 18 walks in the same timeframe before going down with a shoulder injury.

But now, Little is vying for another call-up, and if someone in the Cubs' pen goes down with an injury, he should be one of the first guys to get the call. His velocity could give the Cubs another high-octane reliever to go with Daniel Palencia and Porter Hodge. All three men feature great velocity and are homegrown relievers that the Cubs' pitching development team can hang their hat on. Little should get another chance at some point this season, and hopefully, he leaves the walks in the past.