The Chicago Cubs have a lot of excitement heading into the 2026 season. They were aggressive in the offseason of getting quality talent, but others seemed to have develop into better players on the roster. Relievers are one of the more volatile positions in the bigs, but one relief pitcher has a lot of eyes on him to continue improving. Let’s take a deeper dive into which Cubs player made one outlet’s All-Breakout team.
Chicago Cubs closer Daniel Palencia named to Bleacher Report’s All-Breakout team
Mar 16, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela pitcher Daniel Palencia (29) celebrates after defeating Italy in a semifinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report wrote an article discussing his All-Breakout team for the 2026 season. He would name one Cubs player and it would be the only reliever for the team. Closer Daniel Palencia would make the cut and below is what Reuter said of why:
“Daniel Palencia was the relief pitcher pick for our 2025 All-Breakout Team that was chosen at the end of the season, so it’s fair to say the hard-throwing reliever has already broken through. However, he is still capable of another step forward, with the elite stuff to emerge as one of baseball’s true lockdown closers during the upcoming season. He flourished in the pressure cooker of the World Baseball Classic, closing out the championship game against Team USA with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. A 40-save season and All-Star selection could be the next step in 2026.”
Palencia looked sharp in his opportunities last season as well. He was 1-6 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.139 WHIP in 52.2 innings. He looked sharp with 22 saves and a 133 ERA+, which was the best of his young career. Chicago showed a lot of confidence in him to continue as the closer, as there were a lot of quality back-end relief options in free agency this offseason. It will be intriguing to see what the young closer can continue developing into as he gains more experience and confidence.
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