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Cubs Pitcher Declared 'Unsung Hero' Of Team By Manager Craig Counsell

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 11:43 AM ET

There have been a lot of players who have contributed to the success of the Chicago Cubs this season.

On their pitching staff, there are a few standouts that come to mind first. In the rotation, Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton have been huge. Boyd signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Cubs, opting not to go to the top of the starting pitching market. He has provided as much value as any of those top-end guys in 2025.

He has been the team’s most consistent starting pitcher since Opening Day. Boyd leads Chicago with 26 starts, producing a 2.82 ERA across 153.1 innings. He has been the team’s ace for a majority of the season, especially when Shota Imanaga was sidelined.

Horton, the team’s top pitching prospect coming into the year, has been lights out. He has been so good he is now the favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. It is hard to argue against that with the production he has provided the team.

Through 19 appearances, 18 of which have been starts, he has a 2.92 ERA across 98.2 innings. He has struck out 81 batters. His last appearance on Aug. 29, when he gave up two earned runs in five innings against the Colorado Rockies, was the first time multiple runs were scored against him in an outing since July 9, a seven start span.

Brad Keller Has Been Excellent For Cubs This Season

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It would be easy to pick out both players are unsung heroes, but manager Craig Counsell went in a different direction. Following the team’s 4-3 win over the Rockies on Saturday, Aug. 30, he spoke very highly of veteran relief pitcher Brad Keller.

He worked a perfect 1-2-3 eighth inning in front of Daniel Palencia, including ground ball outs from Tyler Freeman, Mickey Moniak and Hunter Goodman.

“We don’t talk about Brad Keller enough, I don’t think. He’s been, to me, the unsung hero of this team,” said Counsell in his office after the win.

“We don’t talk about Brad Keller enough, I don’t think. He’s been, to me, the unsung hero of this team.”

Brad Keller has a 2.28 ERA on the season, including 18 straight scoreless outings. pic.twitter.com/z4Skr69rci
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 31, 2025

That was the third day in a row he had taken the mound for the Cubs. On Thursday, he threw a scoreless inning against the San Francisco Giants, needing only 18 pitches. He threw five pitches to complete the eighth inning on Friday, recording one out. Saturday, he needed only eight pitches to get through the frame.

Unsung hero is certainly an appropriate way to describe Keller. He had to earn his way into the bullpen mix in spring training, which he did. As the season has gone on, he has moved up the pecking order for high-leverage situations for Counsell. He now occupies the main setup role ahead of Palencia.

It is well-deserved, given how productive he has been. He has made 58 appearances, throwing 60.1 innings with a 2.24 ERA. 61 strikeouts have been recorded, and he has produced 1.0 bWAR thus far as one of the best and most unheralded setup men in the MLB.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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