Cubs to face beloved member of 2016 World Series team for first time

2025 marks the first season that the Chicago Cubs are without any members of their beloved 2016 World Series-winning team. Up until this year, starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks was the lone reminder of the glory that swept over Chicago when the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought, which was the longest in professional sports at the time. Now, the Cubs get a reunion with Hendricks, who will take the mound against them Sunday after signing with the Los Angeles Angels last winter.

It will be the first time Hendricks has faced the North Siders in his 12-year career, 11 of which he donned a Cubs uniform. Hendricks, 35, made his major league debut for the Cubs in 2014 as a 24-year-old. He quickly won over fans at Wrigley Field with his surgical approach on the mound, often painting corners and utilizing an effective changeup.

Kyle Hendricks was a unicorn in a league emphasizing increased velocity

The right-hander was a true throwback in a landscape of big young arms consistently touching the mid-to-upper 90’s on the radar gun. Hendricks never was a flamethrower, but he used what he had, earning him the household nickname “The Professor”. Let me tell you, when The Professor was dialed in, he was reminiscent of 90’s era Greg Maddux.

Hendricks was at his best in 2016 when he went 16-8 with a minuscule 2.13 ERA, which landed him third in the NL Cy Young voting. Then there was the World Series championship over Cleveland. This made him an instant legend in Chicago along with everyone else on that historic team.

Perhaps what made fans love him even more was the fact that he stayed in Chicago even after everyone else from that 2016 team had either been traded or left in free agency. Even though he never did reach the level he was on in 2016, he was a fan favorite, and still is to this day.

In 2024, Hendricks had prolonged struggles on the mound for the first time in Chicago. After an emotional final game at Wrigley Field in which Hendricks pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings and then left to a standing ovation, his time as a Cub had come to an end. Hendricks hit free agency after the season ended and signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Angels.

Now Hendricks will take the mound against his former team for the first time in what is sure to be a bittersweet moment. It’s not at Wrigley Field, but any Cubs fans in southern California will be sure to voice their appreciation for 11 seasons of ultimate professionalism - and of course, for 2016.