Just two years removed from being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, Keegan Thompson's career had all but sputtered out. In 2019 Thompson was an injury-prone wreck, struggled to make starts as a 24-year-old in Double-A.
After making just three starts all year, the Alabama-native was sent to Mesa and the Arizona Fall League where he made seven starts to the tune of a 4.62 ERA. Not ideal, but at least it seemed like Thompson might be healthy for the 2020 minor league season, a season that never occurred.
What more could go wrong for the prospect whom the Cubs had once hoisted their hopes? He was injured in 2019, then forced to sit out 2020 when healthy.
By the beginning of 2021, Thompson hadn't pitched a full season since 2018. In that time span the Cubs had gone from a 95-win juggernaut to panic sellers at the deadline.
But finally, Thompson was ready to make his mark, and that year he made six starts and pitched 53.1 innings for a 3.38 ERA. Somehow, the former top prospect had worked his way back onto the radar.
Though he had lost his rotation spot for the beginning of 2022, it took only seven relief appearances for the Cubs to add him back as a starter on May 11. By that point his ERA was 1.17.
From then until Wade Miley's return and Hayden Wesneski's emergence did Thompson hold his spot in the rotation. He was by no means dominant, but still, he was a stabilizing presence for Chicago in a rocky season.
His 4.83 ERA as a starter may be unsightly, but taking away just one blowup start in June, it falls to 4.18. And as a long reliever, none shone brighter for the Cubs.
Across 36.1 innings in 12 appearances, Thompson pitched to a 1.47 ERA out of the bullpen, striking out 10.3 batters per nine.
A junk ball pitcher, Thompson threw six pitches to differing effectiveness: a four-seamer, a cutter. a curveball, a sinker, a change-up and a slider.
Though they combined for nearly 40% of his offerings, both the cutter and change were hit often and hit well for a +6 total run value. The four-seamer, sinker. change and cutter were worth -1 run value.
With the Cubs looking to make a splash in free agency in 2023, Thompson may or may not have his spot remaining in the rotation upon his return, that may be an ideal situation though, he can fill in as a starter, but it doesn't seem like he'll ever excel there.
In a multi-inning relief role out of the 'pen, Thompson will be ready to exceed expectation once again.
Final Grade: A-
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