The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen picture has solidified to a degree in recent weeks with the signings of Phil Maton and Hoby Milner, as well as the decision to bring Caleb Thielbar back to town. Fans would still like to see more encouraging additions to shore up the group. Roster holes exist elsewhere, however, so the team may find itself leaning on internal options to take a step forward.

 

Luckily, years of acquiring pitching depth in the minors has led to a point where the Cubs have plenty of talented arms waiting for a full-time opportunity in the big leagues. Whether because of ticking clocks or elite raw stuff that has never been fully harnessed, these are their top candidates to become important bullpen contributors

Luke Little

The Cubs’ top two southpaws in the Opening Day bullpen are likely to be Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar. Both are experienced and effective, but they’re also in their mid-to-late-30s. The Cubs may need another LHP to mix in late in games at some point in 2026, and Little has all of the tools to do so in a meaningful way.

 

Little has lacked consistency in his limited MLB experience over three seasons, but his raw talent and traits are difficult to write off. At 6’8 and possessing a mid-to-high-90s heater from the left side, he offers a dimension to the bullpen that Thielbar and Milner do not… if he can iron out his command issues. At 25 years old, there’s still plenty of time for the Cubs to help him make an adjustment.

Little’s wipeout slider, paired with an overwhelming fastball, gives him all of the tools he could need to dominate out of the bullpen, assuming he can locate anywhere near the strike zone. His ability to generate tons of ground balls and limit home runs comes from ridiculously elite extension (he averaged 7.2 feet of it in 2025), giving him another mouth-watering tool to build upon.

Porter Hodge

The 2025 campaign couldn’t have gone worse for Porter Hodge, as every regression concern came to life and then some. His .189 Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) in 2024 was always going to be difficult to repeat, but watching it inflate to .313 was certainly unforeseen. His walk rate rose to 12.2% while his strikeout rate also declined slightly. He watched his home run-to-fly-ball rate increase from 5.6% to 25%. Anyone wary of trusting Hodge in a significant role headed into 2026 is justified.

 

There’s also plenty of reason not to write Hodge off completely moving forward. The increase in homers allowed was arguably the most significant contributor to his miserable 2025 campaign. It’s worth noting that he’s suppressed homers at every professional level in his career, including MLB, until 2025. Could it be a bout of bad luck, or perhaps an oblique strain that he quietly struggled through for much of the season? It’s difficult to say, but lowering the home run rate to even modest levels would make a huge difference.

Hodge will have just turned 25 at the beginning of 2026, and while the Cubs would be wise not to trust him in high leverage as they did early on this past season, he could easily earn a prominent role back at some point. Relievers are volatile, and these seasons unfortunately happen. The upside Hodge has already displayed is worth accounting for.

Ben Brown

Brown’s stuff remains tantalizing, and his 117 innings in 2025 may very well position him for another season of contributing to the rotation to some degree. It’s worth wondering, however, whether the 26-year-old may be best utilized in a bullpen role, given the Cubs’ needs and how he struggled as a starter last season.

 

Brown was fine in some respects as a starting pitcher, but was plagued by a crippling .347 BABIP and a 15.5% HR/FB rate. These may seem like fluky stats, but some may argue his pitch mix is to blame. A high-octane fastball and devastating breaking ball can make him effective for stretches, but the 1.126 OPS allowed third time through the order shows the dangers of being a two-pitch pitcher in the starting rotation. Hitters can feel more comfortable knowing they won’t be completely surprised by a third pitch, and at times may decide to take their big-boy hack while selling out for a 50/50 gamble on what’s coming.

 

Without a third pitch, Brown may continue to struggle in a bulk role. The Cubs should be looking for high-end rotation help that will hopefully make them less reliant on arms like Ben Brown to fill in, and then he can focus on dominating hitters in short stints out of the bullpen. It’s hard to imagine his raw stuff not being up to the task.

The Cubs should still have several additions on the way this winter, but it’s possible they don’t wind up with a marquee member for the bullpen. Are there any other arms that could become significant contributors to the back end of games in 2026? Let us know below!