Chicago Cubs Have Received Unexpected Production From Unheralded Reliever

A relief pitcher has come out of nowhere to become a key part of the Chicago Cubs bullpen.

Aug 31, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Porter Hodge (37) throws against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The 2024 season in many ways has been an underwhelming one for the Chicago Cubs.

While they still have a chance to make a push for the playoffs, their odds are miniscule.

It seems like a too little, too late situation as they need to play nearly perfect baseball over the last few weeks to even have a chance.

Despite the outcome likely not being what the franchise had hoped for coming into the campaign, there have been a few bright spots for the team.

One of the most unexpected ones is in their bullpen.

The Cubs have had to dig deep into their depth on the pitching staff with nine pitchers currently on the injured list, and others, such as Mark Leiter Jr. and Hector Neris, were traded ahead of the deadline and waived after it, respectively.

In need of some help, Chicago called up Porter Hodge, who made his MLB debut on May 22.

Since that point, he has become an integral part of the team’s bullpen, moving into a late-game role recently.

After the franchise opted to move on from Neris, it was Hodge who manager Craig Counsell decided to make his closer. He has been excellent, not allowing a single run in eight appearances and 8.2 innings.

In 34 total outings, he has thrown 38 innings with an excellent 1.66 ERA. He has given up only 17 hits with 17 walks while striking out 46.

To say this production has been unexpected would be an understatement.

As shared by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, Hodge wasn’t very high on the team’s prospect ranking coming into the season, and wasn’t a very high draft pick.

“A 13th-round pick in 2019 and the No. 22 prospect in the Chicago Cubs system heading into the year, Porter Hodge has emerged as a consistent late-inning option in a bullpen filled with question marks,” wrote Reuter.

Hodge wasn’t projected to make any impact on the team with a 0.0 WAR coming into the year, but he has produced a 0.9 in his nearly four months with the team, cementing his place in the team’s bullpen going forward.

Only 23 years old, his future with the Cubs is a bright one.

Given how well he has handled a late-inning role as a rookie, he should be part of the equation for saves again in 2025.