Cubs on right track with home grown pitching |
When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, most innings pitched by Cub players were from pitchers acquired from outside the organization. In other words, the Cubs struggled to develop homegrown pitching — and, instead, had to spend heaps of money to acquire pitching via free agency or spend prospects to acquire pitchers via trade.
When Theo Epstein left the Cubs after the 2020 season, and Jed Hoyer took control of the baseball operations, it was clear that Hoyer had shifted his mindset on the Cubs’ organizational development to favor the pitching side of things. Whether it be the decisions to hire General Manager Carter Hawkins or the drafting of pitchers like Jordan Wicks, Cade Horton, or Jackson Ferris — the emphasis on pitching has been apparent. While the 2023 season may have had a disappointing ending, you can not ignore the steps the Cubs have been able to take to develop effective pitching at the big league level. The head of the snake is Justin Steele. The Cubs have drafted and developed a bonafide ace in the left-hander. He will receive Cy Young votes after his dazzling season: 16-5 record, 3.06 ERA,173.1 innings and 176 strikeouts. Steele is the poster boy of this era’s regime and proof of their success at developing homegrown arms. However, the 28-year-old isn’t the only cog in the system: the Cubs have a lot of young, homegrown pitching for the first time in over 20 years. Behind Steele in the starting rotation is Jordan Wicks. Wicks was drafted in the first round of the 2021 draft and rose quickly through the minors, joining the Cubs starting rotation in August. Wicks made seven starts, and aside from his 1.2-inning, six-run outing in the year's final series, he was excellent. Wicks figures to be a fixture in the starting rotation for years. Adbert Alzolay is a perfect example of the Cubs improved pitching infrastructure. Alzolay was once the Cubs top starting pitching prospect. A few years of struggles and a battle with various injuries turned Alzolay into a bullpen piece for the Cubs. Alzolay took that role and ran with it, evolving into the Cubs’ closer of the future — highlighted by 22 saves in 2023 and a 2.67 ERA. The Venezuelan will be a massive part of the Cubs’ bullpen moving forward. Michael Rucker, Javier Assad, Keegan Thompson, Daniel Palencia, Brandon Hughes, Jeremiah Estrada, and Luke Little accounted for nearly 200 innings for the Cubs, and they are all homegrown arms. As the Cubs look forward, Assad looks to be a key cog in the Cubs’ pitching machine — whether as a starter, long reliever, or high-leverage arm. Hughes is a lefty the Cubs hope to develop into a specialist. Little has electric stuff, and the Cubs are high on his whiff potential. Aside from the players described, 10 of the Cubs' 28 remaining top-30 prospects are also pitchers. Cade Horton is the top pitching prospect in the Cubs’ system and one of the highest-ranked in the MLB. Ben Brown, Jackson Ferris, Michael Aria, and Drew Gray are just some of the other names that project to be a big part of the Cubs’ pitching staff in years to come. While there is no guarantee that any of these players will turn into bonafide aces or All-Star pitchers, the Cubs are certainly on the right track to develop a consistent line of pitching. These prospects do not guarantee that the Cubs will not have to spend big money on an ACE via free agency or acquire one via trade — but consistent roster construction is a lot easier to retain when you don’t have to spend outside money on your entire pitching staff (like the 2015-2021 Cubs). The fact is that having pitching depth at the major league level and in your farm system is a beautiful thing to have. Jed Hoyer and company have certainly made it a priority to acquire and develop this aspect of the organization — and thus far, it looks like the Cubs have created an organizational step in the right direction regarding their pitching infrastructure.
