In their last homestand, the Chicago Cubs got consistently strong outings from their starting rotation against the Marlins and White Sox. Their 5-1 record on the week speaks volumes to how well the staff did, as their one loss came in the series finale against Miami last Wednesday. The 3-1 defeat saw veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon give up three solo home runs, but still getting through six frames of work.
Last year’s rotation was by far the strongest part of the team, as the bullpen had their fair share of implosions and the offense fell flat pretty frequently. It was unreasonable to put this much pressure on the rotation again in 2025, so Jed Hoyer went out and made moves to try and make the rest of the roster stronger. The team’s offense is now one of the best in baseball, but the bullpen still needs some work done to it.
One of the front office’s free agent signings this offseason has been massive as a member of the rotation. He has needed to step up with injuries being prevalent in the staff so far.
Boyd went six innings and allowed three runs on four hits in the Cubs’ 7-3 win over the White Sox on Saturday. The veteran now has four consecutive appearances on the hill at Wrigley Field with a victory, which puts him in second all-time in franchise history in that category. Boyd sits behind Rick Sutcliffe, who had eight straight home outings with a victory.
The southpaw has been overpowering batters so far in his three starts in May. Boyd punched out eight against the White Sox on Saturday, and did the same thing on May 11 on the road when the team took on the Mets. His first start of the month came against San Francisco at home on May 5, where he struck out seven in the 9-2 win.
Boyd was given a two-year deal in December worth just under $30 million total following a strong 2024 campaign with the Guardians where he tossed under 40.0 innings in the regular season while working back from injury. The signing was a pure upside decision from the front office, and it has paid off big time so far. Boyd has been an anchor in the Cubs’ rotation, and has answered the bell while Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele have been on the shelf.
Fortunately, Imanaga should be back at some point in June, where Steele will miss the rest of the campaign. Boyd has a 4-2 record in nine starts in this season. The lefty has a 2.98 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in 51.1 innings tossed in an important role with the club’s starting group. He is slated to throw again in the series opener against the Reds on Friday.
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