Pete Crow-Armstrong is the likely National League MVP, leading a Chicago Cubs squad that’s absolutely stacked with star defenders and sluggers. Their offense and defense are flat-out elite, no question. But ESPN’s David Schoenfield just dropped a truth bomb that should have every Cubs fan on edge: one single inning could totally derail their postseason dreams. We’re talking about the ninth inning, people. The Cubs are staring down October without a true closer, and that’s a problem that feels massive.
Who Closes For The Cubbies, Seriously?
Schoenfield didn’t mince words, pinpointing the ninth inning as the “fatal flaw” for the Cubs. Jacob Webb leads the club with just nine saves. That doesn’t scream “lights-out closer” for deep October baseball. It’s wild to be heading into the postseason wondering who is going to get the ball in those make-or-break final outs. Ryan Zeferjahn was touted as a potential option, but he’s been super shaky ever since they acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels. Daniel Palencia? He’s struggled hard since coming back from the injured list. Their other bullpen options? Schoenfield called them “not very exciting,” which is concerning for a team with championship aspirations. Sure, Edward Cabrera or another starting pitcher *could* possibly take on the closer role, but looking at how things are trending, this closer situation is a gaping, undeniable issue for the Cubs right now.
Get Ready For The Phillies, And Their Ninth-Inning Magic
This lack of a reliable closer could turn an otherwise promising postseason into a short-lived disaster. Their overall pitching staff is noted as “a bit questionable,” even with trade deadline pickups Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman joining Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga in what should be a “good-enough rotation.” But “good-enough” isn’t good enough if you can’t slam the door shut. And guess who the Cubs are currently projected to face in their first matchup? The Philadelphia Phillies. Yeah, *those* Phillies. This season, Philly has pulled off multiple improbable ninth-inning comebacks, like being down 4-0 with two outs and two strikes against the St. Louis Cardinals, only to roar back for a 6-4 win. If the Cubs cannot find someone they can implicitly trust with the game on the line in the ninth inning, their NL MVP and elite offense might not even be enough. This October could get real ugly, real fast.
Unless some new arm magically emerges out of nowhere in these crucial next few weeks and takes over that closer role, the Cubs are staring down a serious uphill battle. They’ve got the talent everywhere else to make some serious noise, but this huge ninth-inning question mark looms large over everything they hope to achieve.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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