Porter Hodge has been brilliant, but let's stop short of anointing him as savior

Remember when Rowan Wick came out of nowhere in 2019 to make 31 appearances, working to a 2.43 ERA? How about Codi Heuer going on a heater after coming over from the White Sox in 2021? No? Maybe you have fond memories of Adbert Alzolay's fist pump after slamming the door shut in games last year.

Wick is no longer playing baseball stateside. Heuer is on the 60-day IL in the Texas Rangers organization and hasn't thrown a pitch on a big league mound since 2021. As quickly as it seemed like Alzolay had turned the corner, he stumbled badly out of the gates this spring and is expected to miss the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

My point here is that relievers are fickle things, and arms that maintain a high level of effectiveness for years on end are rare in today's game. The Chicago Cubs know this, hence their lack of eagerness to dole out record-setting deals to relief pitchers in free agency. At least the revamped pitching development structure in place is starting to churn out young internal options - the most intriguing of all being Porter Hodge.

Porter Hodge has been lights-out, but his MLB career is just starting

Hodge stepped up in Alzolay's absence in a way few could have imagined when the Cubs brought him up after all of 15 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level. The 24-year-old has made 30 appearances, posting a sub-1.000 WHIP, a 1.85 ERA and 11.4 punchouts per nine. He's been as effective as any reliever in the league and has quickly become Craig Counsell's go-to guy late in ballgames.

I am not here to diminish any of that. Hodge deserves all the credit he's receiving - and then some. But, again, we're talking about a guy who has all of 34 MLB innings under his belt. Finishing the season on a high note will be a wonderful end to his rookie campaign and, frankly, it's all we (and he) can focus on right now.

But I've seen too many people calling him the long-term answer in the ninth inning to not address it. Could he wind up being just that? Absolutely. Would it be wonderful to have a go-to, homegrown arm in tight spots late? You bet. But we've seen too many relievers flame out or hit the skids to bet on that happening - and that's worth taking note of, whether you're a fan or Jed Hoyer making an offseason shopping list.