Jun 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) delivers during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Cubs’ Pitching Staff Takes Massive Step Forward in Recent Power Rankings

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Anders Pryor | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs have had a stronghold over the National League Central for essentially the entire season, with the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong as one of baseball's newest stars leading the effort. The team is 45-29 with the second-best winning percentage in baseball behind the Detroit Tigers.

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The Cubs' offense has gotten most of the headlines, with Crow-Armstrong slashing .270/.309/.558 with 20 home runs with help from veteran teammates like Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson, and Seiya Suzuki in the heart of the lineup. But the pitching has helped too, and while the late-blooming of veterans Colin Rea and Matthew Boyd have been noteworthy, the entire staff has done well.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller released his "MLB Pitching Staff Power Rankings for All 30 Teams" and put Chicago's staff at No. 12 after being ranked No. 20 last month, citing the improvements of both young players and veteran bullpen pitchers who were once struggling.

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"Compared to the mid-May rankings, the Cubs made the biggest leap of any team, entering Wednesday with a 2.87 ERA over their last 30 games played," Miller writes on Chicago's stride. "Most of the rotation has been solid, including rookie Cade Horton. But it's the middle relief of Ryan Pressly, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar and Chris Flexen putting in serious work. In those 30 games, that quintet combined for 63.2 innings of work with just one earned run allowed. The team's last blown save came a month ago."

For much of the season, Pressly looked like one of the most disappointing offseason signings in baseball. But after posting a 9.00 ERA in May, he has 8.0 innings without allowing a single run in June. Thielbar has been an unsung hero for the Cubs, allowing his last run on April 30 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Horton has been very solid with his 3.47 ERA, most recently putting up 5.2 innings of scoreless ball against the Pirates.

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

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