Why Cubs Bullpen Is Scaring NL Contenders Now
The Chicago Cubs’ Bullpen: A Season of Surprises and Underdogs
What Is a Bullpen, Anyway?
Quick Baseball Vocabulary
- Bullpen: The group of relief pitchers who come in after the starting pitcher gets tired or struggles
- Closer: The pitcher who finishes the game, usually in the 9th inning when the team is winning
- Reliever/Relief Pitcher: Any pitcher who comes in from the bullpen (not the starter)
- Starter: The pitcher who begins the game
- ERA (Earned Run Average): A number showing how many runs a pitcher gives up per 9 innings — lower is better
- Postseason: The playoffs — the tournament after the regular season to determine the champion
- High-leverage situation: A really important moment in the game where one pitch can change everything
The Plan That Didn’t Go as Expected
Last offseason, the Cubs’ front office (the team’s decision-makers) spent money and made trades to build what they thought would be a super-strong bullpen. Here’s what they planned:
| Pitcher | Role Expected | What Actually Happened |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Maton | Key right-handed reliever | Hurt his knee, struggled when he pitched |
| Hunter Harvey | Important righty | Threw only 4 innings, then hurt his triceps (arm muscle) in April |
| Hoby Milner | Left-handed specialist | Had appendectomy (appendix removed) in June, missed two months |
| Daniel Palencia | The Closer (held over from last year) | Elbow inflammation, missed two months, barely pitched 20 innings all year |
IMPORTANT POINT
The Cubs spent a lot of resources on these four pitchers. None of them worked out as planned. In baseball, as in life, injuries and surprises happen constantly.
The Unexpected Heroes Emerge
While the "big names" were sidelined, three pitchers nobody expected to carry the load stepped up big time:
1. Jacob Webb — The Accidental Closer
- Signed for just $1.5 million (a bargain in baseball!)
- Had a solid 3.22 ERA over three years with other teams
- Became the team’s closer — the guy trusted to finish games
- 2.21 ERA this season
- Had a 24-game scoreless streak going into Saturday’s game
- Quote: "It’s pretty cool closing for the Cubs right now."
2. Ryan Rolison — The Left-Handed Surprise
- 2.86 ERA
- Left-handed pitchers are extra valuable (they’re harder for lefty batters to hit)
- Shouldered a "heavy load" — pitched a lot of important innings
3. Trent Thornton — The Righty Rock
- 2.52 ERA
- Another guy who wasn’t supposed to be this important
- Steady and reliable all year
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE
Thanks to this trio + veteran Caleb Thielbar, the Cubs’ bullpen has a 3.83 ERA — one of the top 10 in all of baseball!
How Did This Happen? (Step by Step)
- Offseason: Cubs sign Webb, Maton, Harvey, Milner — think bullpen is set
- April: Harvey goes down with triceps injury
- Spring/Summer: Maton struggles with knee, Milner needs appendix surgery
- Mid-season: Palencia (the supposed closer) hits injured list with elbow issues
- All season long: Webb, Rolison, Thornton keep getting the ball — and keep getting outs
- August: Cubs wake up with 5th best record in baseball
- Now: Postseason looming, bullpen battle-tested and confident
What Makes This Group Special?
Veteran reliever Caleb Thielbar (he’s been around a long time!) noticed something unique:
"It’s been fun to watch some younger guys grow a little bit this year… You just never know when your time’s going to be up. Those kinds of moments mean a lot throughout the course of a season."
And Webb sums up the mindset perfectly:
"This bullpen’s just a testament to a grinder mentality and having fun out there, not putting too much pressure on ourselves, just going out and pitching."
Translation: They don’t panic. They enjoy the game. They just go pitch.
The Postseason Puzzle: A Whole New Ballgame
The regular season is over. Now comes October baseball — and it’s totally different:
How Postseason Pitching Changes:
- Starters get pulled earlier — managers don’t let them struggle
- High-leverage moments happen ANY inning — not just the 9th
- Every pitch matters more — one mistake can end your season
- Matchups matter more — lefty vs. lefty, righty vs. righty
The Cubs’ Secret Weapon: Starters Becoming Relievers
Manager Craig Counsell has a wildcard up his sleeve. These starting pitchers might move to the bullpen for the playoffs:
- Edward Cabrera (Righty)
- Ben Brown (Righty)
- Javier Assad (Righty)
- Colin Rea (Righty)
- David Peterson (Lefty)
WHY THIS MATTERS
In the postseason, you want your best arms available — even if they usually start games. Fresh arms + high stakes = Counsell can mix and match like a chess master.
The Mindset Going In
Are they ready? Thielbar says yes:
"Guys are feeling good, feeling good about themselves, and that’s really what you need to do going into the postseason is just feel good about what you’re doing… going in with confidence and having an idea of what you’re doing, it goes a long way."
And Webb — the guy who learned to "expect the unexpected" — puts it perfectly:
"I take a lot of pride in coming out and trying to shut down whatever inning it may be. It doesn’t matter if I’m in the ninth or seventh or fifth or fourth, it doesn’t matter. That’s ultimately all we care about is winning here."
Summary
- The Cubs planned one bullpen but got a completely different one due to injuries
- Jacob Webb, Ryan Rolison, and Trent Thornton — three "afterthoughts" — became the backbone
- The bullpen posted a top-10 ERA (3.83) and helped the Cubs earn the 5th best record in baseball
- Veteran presence (Caleb Thielbar) + young energy + "grinder mentality" = dangerous combo
- Postestion approaches — where starters may become relievers and every inning is high-pressure
- Confidence is high — these guys have already faced the unexpected and thrived
BOTTOM LINE
In baseball, you can’t predict injuries or breakouts. But you can build a culture where whoever gets the ball believes they’ll get the job done. The 2026 Cubs bullpen is proof.
FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered
Who is Jacob Webb and why is he the closer now?
Webb was a low-cost free agent signing ($1.5 million) expected to be a middle reliever. When the planned closer (Daniel Palencia) got hurt and other relievers struggled, Webb kept getting outs in big spots. He earned the job with a 2.21 ERA and a 24-game scoreless streak.
What happened to the pitchers the Cubs paid big money for?
Injuries! Phil Maton (knee), Hunter Harvey (triceps — out since April), and Hoby Milner (appendectomy — out two months) all missed huge chunks of the season. Daniel Palencia, last year’s closer, missed two months with elbow inflammation.
Why might starting pitchers move to the bullpen in the playoffs?
In the postseason, games are shorter and every out is critical. Managers use their best pitchers regardless of role. A starter who throws 95 mph for 3 innings can be a weapon out of the bullpen. The Cubs have 5 starters who could fill this role.
What does "high-leverage" mean?
A high-leverage situation is a moment where the game outcome hangs by a thread — like bases loaded, 2 outs, 1-run game in the 7th inning. The wrong pitch = loss. The right pitch = win. Postseason is full of these moments.
Can this bullpen actually win in October?
They have the stats (top-10 ERA), the experience (battle-tested all year), and the mindset ("grinder mentality," no fear). Plus, they may get reinforcements from the starting rotation. As Webb says: "You never know what can happen in the postseason." That’s exactly why they’re dangerous.