The Ghosts Are Gone: A Closer Look at the Cubs’ Bullpen Resurgence

For my brother-in-law's wedding in historic New Bern, NC (where Pepsi was invented), we stayed in a bed-and-breakfast. The house was old, and there were creepy photos on the wall in which you would swear the eyes were following you. During the night, we heard a loud shout and what sounded like a group of people marching. My wife and daughter heard it as well, and we figured it was just local drunks.

Until the next morning.

We asked around, and nobody had heard it but us. People down the hall did not. People in the next house over did not. The owner, crickets. There is but one explanation.

We were haunted by ghosts. Much like Cubs fans with bullpens, in the past.

After the weekend series loss to the New York Mets, the ghosts of the Cubs' bullpen once again came to the fore. When even nominal closer Porter Hodge gives up three runs, the ghosts of bullpens past haunt Cubs fans. Memories of Joe Borowski, LaTroy Hawkins, Dave Smith, and Antonio Alfonseca have scarred fans for life. Some readers will remember even Tim Stoddard, Rich Bordi, and the mustachioed George Frazier. But how is it, really, right now?

To compare the current Cubs to 2024's crew, check out the article I wrote on that debacle over the winter. But that was last year. For this year, the stats will tell a different story.

Just looking at the National League, the Cubs rank 12th in these areas: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine innings. They are 14th in bullpen strikeout rate, and 11th in wild pitches. In terms of season-long performance, the Cubs are the bottom team of contenders in the NL. 

We can confidently say the Cubs outpace the Nationals (7.13 bullpen ERA), Diamondbacks (5.02 ERA, missing both of their closers due to injury), and the Marlins (don't care about baseball), even by looking at the big picture. But fans may be missing the mark on the bullpen.

When the Nate Pearson, Eli Morgan, and Luke Little types are removed, the picture is much rosier. The current members of the bullpen are providing a 3.76 ERA, which would place them seventh in the league, smack dab between the Dodgers and the Cardinals. But then, let's get really fun and take out the Ryan Pressly Disaster Inning. When those nine earned runs are deleted, the current members sport a 2.95 ERA, as of May 13. That's second-best in the National League.

Not bad! Obviously, you can't just undo the loss that outing inflicted on the club, but it's telling that it makes such a large difference.

The Giants, as we saw, have an elite bullpen. The current Cubs pen is second only to that group. For further comparisons, here is a list of ERA and WHIP for several other contenders:

• Dodgers: 3.67 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
• Brewers: 4.65 ERA, 1.34 WHIP
• Mets: 3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP 

The Cubs bullpen has been and will continue to be a flashpoint for fans of the Cubs—and any baseball team, honestly. Try Googling "struggling bullpens." I did so, and immediately, Google AI spit out a list of articles with 10 teams, all of which have bullpen issues. But the current iteration is very much alive. Don't let the ghosts of the past haunt how you view the current crop, because they've got some juice.