3 under-the-radar Chicago Cubs off to a good start in 2023

3 under-the-radar players this year - 2. Mark Leiter Jr.

After signing Mark Leiter Jr. to a minor-league deal over the winter, the right-hander broke camp with the big-league roster and is currently off to a successful start out of the bullpen. He has thrown 4.2 innings of scoreless ball and has been a pleasant surprise for the Cubs when it initially looked like he could serve a backup role.

Like Thompson, Leiter had extreme splits as a starter vs. a reliever last season. As a starting pitcher, Leiter recorded an 8.16 ERA in 14.1 IP but managed a 2.87 ERA in 53.1 innings of relief. The Cubs will take those numbers all day, especially on a minor-league deal. Moving forward, we hope to see more of the same. He is quietly one of the more vital, under-the-radar pieces of the bullpen through the first ten games of the season.