3 Chicago Cubs who performed better than expected in 2023

3 Cubs who performed better than expected - 2. Adbert Alzolay

At the start of the 2023 campaign, nobody envisioned the breakout season that was in store for Adbert Alzolay. In 64 frames, Alzolay recorded a stellar 2.64 ERA, along with 22 saves. His ERA+ of 168 was 68% better than the league average, and his FIP of 3.02 suggests he wasn't that lucky but instead was just about as dominant as it looked. Moving Forward, Alzolay still has three years of arbitration on his contract before reaching free agency.

Alzolay missed most of 2022 due to injury but returned, recording a 3.38 ERA (1.91 FIP) in 13.1 IP. After the season he just had this year, he's a lock to make the roster next spring. It will be interesting to see if Jed Hoyer and the front office keep him in the closing role or go after a closer in free agency who has more experience slamming the door in tight ballgames. Regardless, Alzolay is now a core piece of this team, and whatever role he serves next season, we're sure he will dominate.