Heading in to this season, the Chicago Cubs were expected to lean on Jose Veras as their closer, Pedro Strop as the eighth inning set-up man and James Russell as the top left-handed reliever. It is still very early, but it is safe to say that things have not exactly gone according to plan. Veras was absolutely terrible before landing on the DL with an oblique injury, Russell looks like the years of overwork are catching up to him, and while Strop has looked filthy at times, his inability to throw strikes is a legitimate issue.
With the issues the aforementioned pitchers have had, and the high profile late game blow-ups, most fans think that the Cubs' bullpen has been bad this season. In fact, the opposite is true. The Cubs now have an impressive stable of hard-throwing bullpen pitchers that manager Rick Renteria has at his disposal, many of whom are having a great start to the season.
Considering he has been the most impressive thus far, it seems fitting to start off with Hector Rondon. With a 0.68 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 13.1 innings, it is safe to say that Rondon has been incredible so far this season. Rondon is a hard-throwing right-hander who has always shown a ton of upside and now seems to be putting it all together. At 26-years-old, Rondon boasts a ton of pitching talent and could easily become a long-term piece for this franchise. With the struggles of Veras, and inconsistency of Strop, Rondon appears to be locked into the closer role for now. If he continues to be lights out, there's no reason why he should give up the role.
Acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Matt Garza trade last year, Justin Grimm is another hard throwing righty who has been impressive out of the pen. Using his mid-to-high 90s fastball and sharp breaking ball, the 25-year-old has a 0.79 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 11.1 innings of work. However, Grimm's 12.2% walk rate is something that he needs to work on. It has not hurt him yet, but if Grimm expects to keep this success up, he must work on his control. That said, his stuff is obvious and his future appears to be very bright.
Neil Ramirez was only recently called up, but has been lights-out in his two appearances. Ramirez throws in the mid 90s, and has a wicked slider with incredible downward movement. Ramirez seems to have great ability out of the pen, and while he still has plenty to prove, the potential is very intriguing. Wesley Wright has seemingly taken over for Russell as the top lefty in the pen, as he has also been great so far this season.
On top of all these young fire-ballers who are having success, Strop still has plenty of ability and could still become be a key arm in the bullpen throughout the season. Russell will also likely progress to his career averages, and while things look bleak right now, do not count out Veras just yet. Whether the veterans turn things around this year or not, the Cubs' bullpen is in great hands with guys like Rondon, Grimm, Ramirez, and Wright leading the way into the future.