Latest news with #RyanPressly
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
President Jed Hoyer Says Cubs Won't Trade For Reliever Until Mid-to-Late June
The bullpen is one of the largest issues plaguing the Chicago Cubs early in the 2025 season. After the Cubs' bullpen blew a game against the Miami Marlins, the concerns there have been heightened. During a segment on 670 The Score, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer provided an update on the Cubs' pursuit of relief help. Hoyer believes that mid-to-late June is the earliest the Cubs could make a move for a significant reliever. As a follow-up to the Cubs waiting on reliever help, 670 The Score described Hoyer's plan. "For now, as it pertains to the bullpen woes, the Cubs have to focus on other transactions, getting relievers healthy and working with them to improve, he [Hoyer] says." Advertisement With the Cubs' plan to be patient when it comes to acquiring bullpen help, the current crop of relievers needs to step up their game. The Chicago current bullpen has the 12th worst ERA at 4.36, and has blown 8 of their 18 save opportunities. Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) and catcher Miguel Amaya (9) shake hands after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC LeClaire-Imagn Images The Cubs' bullpen is led by veteran Ryan Pressly, who has a 5.71 ERA in 19 appearances and 17.1 innings pitched. He's had 16 appearances without allowing a run, but didn't record an out against the San Francisco Giants while giving up eight earned runs. One bad outing ballooned his ERA, making his numbers look worse than his performance. Daniel Palencia is similar, as he'd been solid for the Cubs with a 2.30 ERA in 2025. But, in his most recent outing against the Marlins, he gave up a walk-off double after allowing two runners to get on with two outs. Advertisement Chicago's bullpen issues go beyond just those two players, as Porter Hodge has a 5.12 ERA, Julian Merryweather has a 5.00 ERA, and Elijah Morgan has a 12.27 ERA. While they all have different innings pitched, the Cubs' bullpen issues have come at the worst times. In the meantime, the current Cubs bullpen needs to improve, and quickly. Whether it's through in-house improvements or additions elsewhere, the Cubs need their bullpen to improve before mid-to-late June. There is a clear need in the bullpen for the Cubs, and while Hoyer recognized the need, the Cubs don't plan to address it until mid-to-late June. In the meantime, the current Cubs bullpen needs to improve quickly. Whether it's through in-house improvements or additions elsewhere, the Cubs need their bullpen to improve before mid-to-late June. Related: Former Cubs Fan Favorite Makes Pete Crow-Armstrong Admission Related: Cubs' Craig Counsell Provides Injury Timeline For Shota Imanaga
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Fantasy baseball bullpen report featuring slumping closers Jeff Hoffman, Raisel Iglesias
After each week passes, more changes present themselves across the high-leverage ecosystem. Texas had two relievers suffer an injury in consecutive days, though it's being reported neither is serious — fantasy managers make preparations in case the news cycle shifts. Last week's closer concern from the National League (Ryan Pressly) has been working in lower-leverage outings but has not regained his lost closer title. Advertisement Relievers in Miami, Pittsburgh and Arizona have been repositioned in my leverage pathways. Recognizing how a manager prefers handling high-leverage innings can create a competitive advantage. Here are our high-leverage pathway identifiers. Each team will receive one of the following labels: Mostly linear: This is a more traditional approach, with a manager preferring one reliever in the seventh inning, another in the eighth, and a closer (when rested) in the ninth. There are shades of gray, but it's usually a predictable leverage pathway. Primary save share: The team prefers one reliever as the primary option for saves. However, he may also be used in matchup-based situations, whether dictated by batter-handedness or batting order pockets in the late innings. This provides multiple relievers with save chances each series or week throughout the season. Matchup-based: Usually, two relievers split save opportunities, sometimes, based on handedness, rest or recent usage patterns to keep them fresh. While these situations typically rely on a primary and ancillary option, others can also become involved. Some teams also prefer a matchup-based option, assigning pitchers a hitter pocket for a series, which creates fluid save opportunities. In-flux: The manager has not confirmed the projected closer based on past struggles or rough spring appearances. Access The Athletic's guide for abbreviations used in fantasy baseball. Yariel Rodríguez (TOR): He owns a four-game scoreless streak, with holds in three. He recorded 10 strikeouts (52.6% K-BB) over his 5.2 innings with a minuscule 0.351 WHIP. Mason Montgomery (TB): He posted his first career save and has three holds in his past 5.2 innings, with seven strikeouts against two walks (25% K-BB), a 0.71 WHIP, and a 15.7 SwStr%. Advertisement Jeff Hoffman (TOR): After a tremendous start to the season, results have gone sideways for the closer. It's been a tale of two splits for him: Including his recent meltdowns, he has recorded 19.1 innings this season with a 6.05 ERA but a 1.62 SIERA and a 2.04 xERA. His .357 BABIP sits 79 points above last year. His underlying metrics remain stable compared to the previous two seasons: His contract and pedigree should ensure his role, but migrating his upcoming results toward his SIERA and xERA needs to occur. Focus on his results with the split finger and slider. Jordan Romano (PHI): He's converted saves in consecutive appearances and three of his past six (all scoreless efforts), while recording a 0.50 WHIP with eight strikeouts (38.1 K-BB%) across six innings. After undergoing a rough patch earlier this season, he has found a rhythm with his new team and has earned a larger save share. Jesús Tinoco (MIA): After missing time on the injured list in April, he's wrested away the primary save share with the Marlins, converting two of his past three chances and four saves total this season. There will be bumps in the road and some lean weeks, but if he's emerging as the closer under Clayton McCullough, there's value in mixed leagues of 12 teams or more. Raisel Iglesias (ATL): Contact, specifically quality of contact, has not been his friend this season. Through his first 17 appearances, he owns a 6.05 ERA with a 2.93 SIERA and a 5.72 xERA. This represents a broad band of potential outcomes in his underlying data. Because xERA factors in type of contact, it's crucial for fantasy managers to take a look under the hood, beginning with his rolling expected wOBA chart: He's allowed 49 batted ball events this season, with a 28.6 LD% — more than nine percentage points higher than last season. Of more significant concern, he's given up eight barrels, causing a disparity between the types of contact produced: Last year, he finished with 14.3% poor contact induced, while allowing 7.4% good contact. He's already given up six home runs (four on his slider) and allowed multiple hits in five of his past eight appearances. Fantasy managers hope his ERA trends toward his SIERA, not his xERA, but the contact allowed must improve. Advertisement Emilio Pagán (CIN): He's allowed at least a run in three of his past four appearances and four of his past seven. This may finish his regression toward the mean since his SIERA (3.32) and his xERA (3.64) both reside below his actual ERA (4.05). There have been gaps of inconsistency throughout his career, which makes trusting him difficult. However, he's been solid this year, and his rolling graph provides hope, but results must follow for him to remain in the ninth inning for the Reds: *Multi-inning or bridge relievers who can vulture wins and help protect ratios. Statistical Credits (through games played on May 14): and Check out my work at Reliever Recon and Closer Monkey for daily updates. (Photo of Jeff Hoffman: Nick Turchiaro / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Insider Says Cubs Should Consider Replacing Ryan Pressly
The Chicago Cubs pulled off the best offseason MLB trade, acquiring outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, who is at the forefront of a potent Cubs' offense. An additional trade the Cubs made with the Astros during the winter has not had the same positive results. Advertisement The Cubs acquired two-time All-Star Ryan Pressly from the Astros in January, and believed he would take complete control of the ninth inning. The righty recorded a career high 33 saves in 50 games in 2022. In 2025, Pressly has struck out just five batters in his first 13 innings in a Cubs uniform and has a 7.62 ERA. Devin Williams of the New York Yankees is the only closer who changed teams this past offseason and can be considered off to a worse start. Closers are supposed to be strikeout pitchers, but Pressly's 8.1 strikeout rate is the second lowest among pitchers who have thrown 10 or more innings this season, per Daniel Fox of The Sporting News. Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) and catcher Miguel Amaya (9) after the game against the Texas Rangers at Wrigley Marton-Imagn Images ESPN's David Schoenfield believes the Cubs could soon remove Pressly from the closer role if his numbers don't improve. Advertisement "Still, the lack of strikeouts and swing-and-misses is alarming," Schoenfield wrote about Pressly Friday. "The rest of the Chicago bullpen hasn't exactly been locking it down either, as it ranks 28th in win probability -- but, at this point, it's hard to envision Pressly remaining the closer unless he can improve his strikeout rate." Manager Craig Counsell has other bullpen options if he's seen enough of Pressly in the ninth inning: Porter Hodge, who had nine saves with the Cubs in 2024, and/or lefty Caleb Thielbar. The Cubs could also re-enter the trade market, with names like the Los Angeles Angels' Kenley Jansen and the Baltimore Orioles' Gregory Soto, free agents at season's end. Related: Is New Chicago-Born Pope Leo XIV a Cubs or White Sox Fan?
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What Ryan Pressly is working to correct after a historically bad outing
CHICAGO — Just when it seemed the Cubs had finally found a group of trusted relievers, their veteran closer delivered a historically bad performance on Tuesday evening. In the 11th inning of a 14-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants, Ryan Pressly faced eight batters, all of whom reached base and eventually scored. It was a disastrous outing that raised questions about Pressly's effectiveness, particularly his ability to miss bats. Before Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Giants — a game in which five relievers worked four shutout frames — pitching coach Tommy Hottovy met with reporters at Wrigley Field. Hottovy suggested Pressly needed to get more in-game work regardless of the situation. But did that mean Pressly's struggles were pushing him out of a high-leverage role for the time being? 'No,' Hottovy said. 'I just think we have to get him consistent work. That's the bottom line.' Pressly has issued walks to 12.1 percent of batters, well above his career rate of 7.2 percent. In his 12 previous years in the big leagues, he had just one season with a walk rate above 9 percent (10.1 percent in 2015). He has also given up a .327 batting average and an .869 OPS. Pressly's biggest issue is the lack of strikeouts. On Tuesday, he threw 26 pitches and drew just one whiff. On the season, Pressly's swinging-strike rate is 5.7 percent and his strikeout rate is 8.1 percent. Those numbers were 12.6 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively, last season and peaked at 17.7 percent and 35.7 percent, respectively, in 2022. Among eligible relievers, only one has a worse strikeout rate and three have a worse swinging-strike rate. Pressly's fastball is down a half tick in miles per hour from last year, continuing a recent trend. But he's never been heavily reliant on velocity because he has two plus breaking balls, both of which seem to be spinning similarly to the past. Hottovy doesn't believe it's a stuff issue. Rather, hitters are picking up Pressly's pitches earlier than they used to. PATTY BARRELS. GIANTS LEAD. 💪 — SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 7, 2025 'I believe in deception factors that don't maybe show up in normal mechanical breakdowns or even in pitch data,' Hottovy said. 'He can have good pitch data, but I do believe there are some mechanical things that hitters are just seeing the ball a little early. When you can have good pitch data, good velocity, but a hitter sees it a tick early, whether it's subconscious or they're actually picking it up, it just gives them more time.' Hottovy said this problem is different than tipping pitches. 'Tipping would be more where they literally know what's coming,' Hottovy said. 'We're on top of making sure that's not happening. He's very astute of what he's doing. Not to say there aren't minor things that pop up. But I'm thinking more about how the delivery happens. When a guy's front shoulder flies open early, that shows the hitter and gives them more time.' Hottovy also believes that hitters are very familiar with how Pressly pitches. He wants hitters to chase his breaking balls down. They know that. Hottovy wants to combat that by having Pressly use his fastball up in the strike zone more often. Pressly had his right knee drained on April 22 to relieve some discomfort. On Tuesday night, Pressly and manager Craig Counsell said that wasn't an issue, and Hottovy reiterated that the veteran is feeling healthy. But Hottovy did say that they lost time to get in work while the knee was bothering him. 'It's the balance,' Hottovy said. ''Ok, what do I need to do today to get better but also be available to pitch?' And when you're dealing with a knee, a physical ailment, that's gonna shut down a lot of the work you do. Let's make sure you feel good. We probably missed a week there where we weren't getting the consistent work that we wanted to get in.' It's also likely that while Pressly's knee was hurting, he altered his normal delivery to compensate for the issue. 'He's feeling great with the knee,' Hottovy said. 'What always happens when you deal with lower-body, minor injuries is mechanics — you form bad habits. So it's kind of like, 'I feel good now. Now I have to work back through all the habits I was kind of compensating for.' We see that with guys with these types of injuries.' Tuesday marked Pressly's third appearance in two weeks. The combination of the knee draining and the Cubs not playing many close games led to a lack of consistent work. Hottovy expects that to change as they look to get Pressly in games more often, regardless of the score, so he can get locked in with his mechanics. 'There's going to be opportunities where 'Hey, if you haven't thrown in a couple days, we need to get your work day in,'' Hottovy said. 'It might not be a high-leverage situation, but we need to get the reps, because he's going to be better down the road by pitching more. We just gotta kind of figure out how to navigate that in a series.' The good news for the Cubs is that they have multiple relievers pitching well. They've all had hiccups, but they seem to have hit their strides. Porter Hodge would be the obvious choice if Pressly is removed from the closer's role, either temporarily or permanently. Daniel Palencia, Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar and Drew Pomeranz also have been strong. Julian Merryweather has been solid, and Gavin Hollowell has been effective in his brief stint. The Cubs, like most contenders, will also likely look for relief help at the July 31 trade deadline. Ultimately, the Cubs would love for Pressly to regain his deception and find his best self, but it appears they have options if he can't. They know, regardless, that Pressly will do whatever he can to regain his effectiveness. 'The best part about Ryan was he was here at 8 o'clock (Wednesday) morning to go out to the bullpen and do dry work,' Hottovy said. 'As a coach, you want to be around those guys who want to continue to get better, who do whatever they have to do to do what's best for them and the team. For him to take that rough night, he's like, 'I didn't sleep last night anyway, let's get to work.'' (Photo of Pressly, left: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Ryan Pressly's historic meltdown, plus the Guardians prospect pitching through cancer
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic 's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Well, that was quite an 11th inning in Chicago. Plus: Ken on Geraldo Perdomo's big personality, Zack Meisel on the prospect pitching through cancer treatments, and the Red Sox really need a first baseman. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup! Trouble: Is it time to worry? Yeah, probably Eno Sarris has an article today in which he looks at 10 early numbers that indicate legitimate trouble for a few teams. Most of them are things we know are going wrong, but Sarris does a good job of explaining why . Now … let's pivot: I had a whole section here highlighting a few of these numbers. You can still click the link and read them. But here's what Sarris had to say about Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly. Keep in mind, he wrote this when Pressly's ERA was 2.08. Pressly's declining stuff — he's lost velocity and ride on the four-seam, which has become more cutter-like, and his curve is his only remaining above-average pitch — will probably cost him the closer's role sooner rather than later. Pressly's ERA is now 7.23, because he faced eight hitters and allowed nine runs in the 11th inning against the Giants last night. So let's focus on that , shall we? Because holy crap. Per the Giants broadcast, it was the most runs ever allowed in any extra inning in Wrigley Field history. It was also the most runs scored in an extra inning by the Giants since at least 1901. Per Stathead, there has only ever been one other outing in which a pitcher allowed nine runs without recording an out — extra innings or not. That was Hank Borowy of the Detroit Tigers, who did it against the St. Louis Browns on Aug. 18, 1951. Since it came in extra innings (ghost runner), only eight of Pressly's runs were earned (so Borowy still owns the record for earned runs. Only four pitchers have previously allowed that many earned runs in an inning without recording an out (most recently: Carlos Rodón in 2023). As you might have guessed, we have more on this game. Here's Grant Brisbee on the Giants angle, and Patrick Mooney from the Cubs side. Ken's Notebook: How Perdomo won over the D-Backs From my latest story: The new kid on the Diamondbacks wouldn't stop talking, and it was driving Mookie Betts nuts. So the Dodgers star pulled aside Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, a trusted confidante from their days together with the Boston Red Sox, and offered some advice: 'You've got to get this guy to shut up.' Geraldo Perdomo wouldn't shut up and still hasn't shut up, keeping in line with an ebullient personality that once drew the ire of veteran teammates and even the occasional opponent. But since his major-league debut in 2021, Perdomo has not only emerged as one of baseball's best shortstops but also gained respect and admiration from his Diamondbacks teammates, growing into a leader. Perdomo, 25, isn't as well-known as Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and Bobby Witt Jr., among others. But so far this season, he leads all shortstops in fWAR and ranks fourth in the majors overall, behind Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso and teammate Corbin Carroll. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen calls Perdomo's plate discipline elite. Pitcher Zac Gallen calls him one of the game's underrated defenders. Betts? He smiles when asked about Perdomo. Right away, he was taken by the kid's enthusiasm. But Betts also could see how some might view Perdomo's decorum on the field as a problem. For example, Perdomo seemed unaware his celebrations might be perceived differently when the Diamondbacks were losing. 'In my head, I was like, hey, you've got to kind of straddle that line,' Betts said. Early on, straddling that line was not the easiest task. The Diamondbacks finished 52-110 in 2021, the year Perdomo made his debut in two brief stints totaling 11 games. They were 74-88 in 2022, his first full season. So, when Perdomo would talk away in the clubhouse in the middle of a losing stretch, or with opponents at second base regardless of the score, some of his teammates seethed. 'For some of us, the older players, it was kind of not the greatest look,' Gallen said. With a team gone sour, Perdomo even raised eyebrows with a seemingly innocuous act, jumping over the dugout rail in excitement when the Diamondbacks would score. Former Arizona catcher Carson Kelly, now with the Chicago Cubs, recalls some of the veterans reacting skeptically: 'Whoa, that's a little different.' Lovullo, pitcher Merrill Kelly and others said Perdomo indeed rubbed people the wrong way. More here. Drama?: Devers not the 1B answer (for now) in Boston It was the biggest story in camp. The Red Sox had signed Alex Bregman — reigning AL 3B Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman, mind you — and the entire sport seemed to slowly turn its head toward incumbent third baseman Rafael Devers to see his response. He didn't disappoint (assuming you were hoping for a little drama, anyway). Devers made it clear that he was a third baseman, not a designated hitter. Period. Aaaaaand then a couple more periods to make it an ellipsis, because after meeting with manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox front office, Devers reversed course: He was ready to do whatever the team needed. Well, they need a first baseman now. Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury created a void. Could Devers be that guy? Here's a line from Jen McCaffrey's recent story: 'Before Tuesday's game, Cora said that he's had no discussions with Rafael Devers about moving to first base. Devers has been asked by the media to discuss the matter, but so far he has declined to talk.' To be fair, that's not quite the full-chest 'no way' we got from Devers this spring. It's also not an offer to do it. All we know is: It's not happening. So far, the Red Sox have used Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro in Casas' absence. If Devers did play first base, it would allow Boston to put Masataka Yoshida at DH. Yoshida is returning from a shoulder injury, and capable of hitting, but is still experiencing pain when he throws. Stay tuned? Today's Must-Read: The prospect pitching through cancer treatments When it comes to telling stories like this, there aren't many who can do it like Zack Meisel. Today, he brings us the story of Nic Enright, who hasn't even made it to the big leagues just yet. Part of the reason might be because he's pitching through cancer treatments. In December 2022, the Guardians prospect was selected by the Miami Marlins in the Rule 5 draft, meaning — barring an IL stint — they would have to keep him on their big-league roster all season long, or offer him back to Cleveland. Less than a month later, an egg-sized lump on his neck caused him to see a doctor. He was diagnosed with 'Stage 2 nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.' That IL stint in Miami did happen. By the time the deadline came to activate him or send him back, it was late June, which is how he ended up back with the Guardians. Meisel walks us through Enright's journey — chemotherapy treatments, walks with his wife, scheduling his treatments around the baseball season, and support from others in the sport who had battled cancer. Now, at age 28, he's back on the verge of making the big leagues. Go read the rest of the story. Whether you're a Guardians fan or not, you'll probably have a new player to root for by the time you're finished. Handshakes and High Fives From prospect to regular to folk hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong is an undeniable star with the Cubs. The Astros are nearing a decision deadline on Brendan Rodgers as they try to replace Jose Altuve at second base. Royce Lewis didn't do his usual big-day-at-the-plate-in-his-return-from-the-IL bit, but the rest of the Twins lineup stepped up and did it for him. Last year, new glasses helped break Kiké Hernandez out of a slump. Now Max Muncy is giving it a go. The Yankees scored 10 runs off the vaunted Padres bullpen, who apparently decided to get all their regression out in one go. Additionally, the Yanks have DFA'd Carlos Carrasco. Brendan Kuty tells us what the rotation options are. Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández has officially hit the IL — it's a Grade 1 adductor (groin) strain. On the pods: Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is on 'Starkville,' talking about the team's hot start — including Spencer Torkelson and Javy Báez. And on 'Rates and Barrels,' Will Sammon discusses the Mets' rotation and lineup questions. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Five trades Jim Bowden would like to see this month. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic 's other newsletters. (Top photo: Ed Szczepanski / Imagn Images)
