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4 Chicago Cubs players who surprisingly earned a roster spot in 2025
Looking ahead to next season, these three players overcame a lot this year and look like they'll be back in the mix in 2025.
The Chicago Cubs have been maddening to watch this season, one that will almost certainly end without a postseason appearance. The ups and downs are part of baseball, but the inconsistency and underperformance for much of the year almost make the idea of the offseason seem merciful.
Then again, that just means more time to stew over an abysmal Chicago Bears' offensive line, so maybe merciful isn't the right word. But if you can get past the team failing to get its first postseason win since 2017, there were some unexpected bright spots on the roster - and these four players, in particular, defied the odds and seem likely to be back in the fold next spring.
Porter Hodge went from Double-A to shutdown MLB closer this year
Rookie right-hander Porter Hodge wasn't on most folks' bingo cards coming into the 2024 season. He began the year at Double-A and struggled after making the jump to Iowa, but has emerged as a legitimate late-inning weapon for the Cubs as the season progressed.
Despite a blown save over the weekend to the Rockies, Hodge boasts a 2.08 ERA and 2.84 FIP in 35 appearances, punching out more than 11 batters per nine. The control issues that plagued him in the minors have, at least, been mitigated at the big-league level and he's been a savior for a team that couldn't come up with a ninth-inning answer for more than half the year.
Adbert Alzolay came into the year as the closer, but ineffectiveness and a season-ending injury derailed things rather quickly. Veteran Hector Neris, brought in to bridge the gap from the middle innings to Alzolay, was forced into the role - one he was ill-suited for - and wound up getting designated for assignment. Thankfully, Hodge stepped up and answered the call or this whole thing could have really gone off the rails.
Jed Hoyer should still prioritize proven late-inning relievers this winter, but Hodge will have a role to play in 2025 regardless, whether it be in the ninth or as a fireman for Counsell in key spots.
Miguel Amaya miraculously saved his season in the second half
Similar to Alzolay, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya came into the season with some lofty expectations. Expected to take on a larger role alongside an aging Yan Gomes, the former highly-regarded prospect showed a ton of growth in 2023 and this was supposed to be the year he ascended to the throne, if you will.
Instead, he fell flat on his face in the early-going and there were legitimate questions as to whether or not he'd even finish the year on the roster given his lack of minor league options. Hoyer scoured the trade market at the deadline, even engaging with the Angels on Logan O'Hoppe, but wound up having to settle for Tomas Nido and Christian Bethancourt as stopgap options after cutting ties with Gomes in June.
Thankfully, Amaya flipped a switch post-All-Star break and has looked like a completely different hitter. He's always received high marks from his pitchers, but he went from a liability with the bat to a key piece of the Cubs lineup down the stretch. The Venezuelan-born backstop raised his OPS more than 200 points from his first-half performance and will no doubt be back next year looking to show his turnaround was no fluke.
Nate Pearson has figured some things out since coming to Chicago
When the Cubs swung a deal for former top prospect Nate Pearson, it was a move made with 2025 and beyond in mind. The stuff has always been there for the hard-throwing righty, but he had never been able to translate that into success in Toronto.
But since coming to Chicago, that's changed. He's dramatically slashed his walk rate (3.8 BB/9 this year pre-trade, 0.9 BB/9 post) and it's made all the difference in the world. The Cubs altered how he deploys his arsenal, especially to lefties, and he's found the success that evaded him for years with the Blue Jays.
He's by no means a finished product, despite a stellar 2.57 ERA and 0.714 WHIP with Chicago. Pearson still gives up a ton of hard contact and he'll need to limit that moving forward if he's going to find that long-term success. A full offseason working with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and the Cubs pitching staff could make all the difference in the world for a guy who, just months ago, looked like little more than a roll-of-the-dice trade deadline pickup.
Tyson Miller's return to the Chicago Cubs couldn't have gone better
Originally drafted in the fourth round by the Cubs in 2016, Tyson Miller bounced around the league, pitching at the MLB level with Milwaukee, Seattle, Texas, Los Angeles and New York before returning to Chicago in mid-May after getting off to a strong start again out of the Mariners bullpen.
Only Hector Neris and Drew Smyly have appeared in more games than Miller for the Cubs this season, which, given he joined the team a month-and-a-half into the season, tells you just how trusted the 29-year-old has become with Counsell.
In those 44 appearances, the side-arming right-hander carries a minuscule 2.18 ERA and 0.860 WHIP, neutralizing left and right-handed hitters alike all season long. With runners in scoring position, he's limited opponents to a sub-.200 batting average and he's excelled when it comes to limiting self-inflicted damage.
Miller is a lock to return to the Cubs bullpen in 2025 where, hopefully, he'll continue his resurgence and handle high-pressure innings for a team with postseason aspirations.
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