2025 Fantasy Baseball: Chicago Cubs Closer Depth Chart
Is Ryan Pressly the future closer for the Cubs? Or was his decline last year a hint of Chicago turning to another arm for saves in 2025?
Ryan Pressly's Curveball was the Highest Grading tjStuff+ Pitch from yesterday pic.twitter.com/HY8KMNsqaz
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 17, 2024
CL – Ryan Pressly, CHC (ADP – 159.4)
The arrival of Josh Hader to the Astros bullpen led to Pressly losing his value in the fantasy market. From 2021 to 2023, he converted 90 of his 102 closing chances with a 2.94 ERA and 220 strikeouts over 177.2 innings.
Last year, he saw his strikeout rate (9.2) fall by 2.9 Ks from 2022, with a rise in his walk rate (2.8 – 2.2 in 2023). Pressly struggled on the road (4.66 ERA, 1.379 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts over 29.0 innings). His pitches regressed against right-handed batters (.277 BAA) with league-average success vs. lefties (.250 BAA). In April and August, he allowed 12 runs, 32 baserunners, and two home runs over 18.2 innings with 23 strikeouts.
His average fastball (94.0) was a career low. Pressly upped the usage (11.2%) of his changeup (.208 BAA) at the expense of his slider (.244 BAA). Batters smashed his four-seamer (.318 BAA – .394 vs. righties) while offering a serviceable curveball (.241 BAA).
Fantasy Outlook: Based on experience, Pressly will get the first shot at saves for the Cubs. He comes off his worst season since 2017. A back issue led to a stint on the injured list in August. I see a fading arm but can’t dismiss a winning window for saves.
Porter Hodge's 2Ks in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/XgstEHAh4I
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 24, 2024
Top Cubs Handcuff – Porter Hodge, CHC (ADP – 251.2)
Hodge has success in the minors in 2022 as a starting pitcher (7-5 with a 2.63 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, and 141 strikeouts over 109.1 innings). His arm lost momentum over his next 50 games in 2023 and 2024 (7-8 with a 5.02 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 100.1 innings with 131 strikeouts).
Surprisingly, Hodge outpitched his AAA resume (5.74 ERA) by a wide margin with the Cubs last season. By his ninth game (1.80 ERA over 10.0 innings with 15 strikeouts) in Chicago, he already had a save. Batters hit .132 against him, highlighted by his success over his final 33.0 innings (1.91 ERA, 0.818 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts with nine saves in 12 tries).
Hodge threw a cutter (95.8 mph – .174 BAA) as his top pitch, followed by an elite slider (.070 BAA). His first-pitch strike rate (51) invites regression in his already poor starting area with his walk rate (4.0 – 4.8 in the minors).
Fantasy Outlook: Hodge will draw plenty of interest in the fantasy market after a great major league debut season. His two-pitch arsenal projects better in the bullpen. The challenge for him is throwing more strikes. I can’t overlook his AAA failure last year, suggesting his 2025 won’t go as smoothly. Live handcuff with closing upside.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.