The Rundown: Bullpen Will Determine How Well Cubs Navigate Playoffs, Counsell Yet to Name Starters, Mets an Expensive Failure

“Next stop Chi-Town, Lido put the money down, and let ’em roll. He said one more job ought to get it. One last shot ‘fore we quit it.” – Lido Shuffle by Boz Scaggs

While Cubs fans lament the loss of Cade Horton in their Wild Card series with the Padres, it is Chicago’s bullpen that has quietly become the team’s strength. Veteran castoffs Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar, and Brad Keller have had career years, and it’s easy to see why Craig Counsell trusts them in high-leverage situations. Starters averaged just 4.25 innings pitched in the 2024 playoffs, a downward trend from 5+ innings of work when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016. Therefore, a strong bullpen is essential to successfully navigate postseason baseball.

Cubs mgr Craig Counsell confirmed to expect everything in his playbook to get 27 outs. That means an opener is not ruled out for any postseason games.

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) September 27, 2025

To be certain, losing Horton is a monumental blow. That said, Chicago’s success or failure in this year’s playoffs will be fully dependent on its bullpen. Counsell has several starting options available for Games 1 and 2 with Horton on the shelf. Shōta Imanaga and Matthew Boyd are the team’s top two starters, but Colin Rea and Jameson Taillon have been Counsell’s best starters down the stretch. Counsell has used Keller as an opener and closer, so he’s an option as well.

Opening with Keller is an intriguing idea because Daniel Palencia and Andrew Kittredge have pitched so well in closing situations. Michael Soroka is another option if Counsell wants to go with an opener in Game 1 or 2. He’s yet to allow an earned run since returning from the injury list two weeks ago and he has been dominant in short stints going back to last season.

None of that will matter if the Cubs continue to pound the ball like they have been on their season-ending homestand. Chicago’s North Side Baseballers battered the Mets and Cardinals with 43 runs in six games. The weather will be spectacular on Tuesday and Wednesday with the wind blowing out. Michael Busch had a scorching series against St. Louis, and Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong appear to have broken their extended slumps. The Cubs just need Kyle Tucker to start hitting again.

Tucker and Imanaga are the players with the most to win or lose this week, and both should rise to the challenge. Nick Pivetta will start for the Padres on Tuesday, while Chicago’s starter is listed as TBD and nobody has been named by either team to start Game 2. If I had to guess, I’d say Busch, Crow-Armstrong, and Nico Hoerner will lead the Cubs to a division series match with the Brewers. That said, I can’t help but think that Keller, Soroka, Rea, and Moisés Ballesteros will be the team’s unsung heroes once the games start.

Cubs News & Notes

• The Cubs swept the Cardinals and are heating up at the right time. They’ve won four of their last five, just as the Padres have. Keeping pace enabled the Cubs to secure home-field advantage.
• Counsell’s steady demeanor inspires confidence in a deep postseason run.
• Horton is bummed out that he’ll start the playoffs on the injury list. It’s doubtful he’ll be added to the NLDS roster for a potential Game 5 start unless another pitcher gets injured. That’s something to think about if and when the Cubs beat the Padres. It’s dangerous to get caught looking too far ahead.
• The Rookie of the Year favorite said he is eager to help the team any way he can.
• The Padres believe the absence of Horton gives them an edge in the series despite playing all three games at Wrigley Field.
• Jed Hoyer stated Saturday that there is no timeframe for Horton’s recovery.
• Chicago’s quietly dominating bullpen has been overlooked and underestimated ($) all season.
• San Diego’s bullpen is just as impressive as Chicago’s. The Padres are led by Robert Suárez, Mason Miller, Wandy Peralta, Adrián Morejón, and ex-Cub Jeremiah Estrada.
• The Cubs have until tomorrow to announce the Game 1 starter, but Boyd seems like the obvious choice.
• Starting with an opener is a bold strategy. The Padres’ best hitters are the first five in their lineup. Manager Mike Shildt mixes it up well, too. Fernando Tatís Jr. (righty) leads things off. He’s followed by Ryan O’Hearn (lefty), Manny Machado (righty), Jackson Merrill (lefty), and Xander Bogaerts (righty). Imanaga should be in the mix, but he might be saved for a potential Game 3 start. Don’t be shocked by that suggestion given his recent struggles. Imanaga is 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA this season when he’s had six days of rest or more. His last start was a September 25 loss to the Mets.
• The Cubs could save Taillon for a potential Game 1 start against the Brewers. He and Aaron Civale could be left off the Wild Card roster unless Counsell is concerned with having length options. Of course, that means the likely Game 1 starter comes down to Boyd or Rea. Prospect huggers will be happy to know that Ballesteros and Kevin Alcántara are expected to make the initial roster.
• The Cubs are ranked seventh of 12 teams in this year’s postseason power rankings.

Ball Four

Who remembers when the Cardinals were the gold standard for successful National League franchises? Watching their demise has been almost as fun as watching the Cubs succeed. The expected teardown and rebuild will be just as exciting. I love that a player named Busch owned St. Louis all weekend. This Bud’s for you, kid.

Michael Busch was a single away from the cycle in the 8th inning.

The Cardinals intentionally walked him. pic.twitter.com/gbVtzwySF2

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 27, 2025

Central Intelligence

• Milwaukee (97-65): The Brewers finished with the best record in the majors and will have home-field advantage through the World Series.
• Chicago (92-70): Give credit to the Cubs for finishing within five games of Milwaukee despite a 54-25 (.684) three-month stretch by the Brewers.
• Cincinnati (83-79): The Reds have Terry Francona and Hunter Greene, and that may be enough to stun the Dodgers in a short series.
• St. Louis (78-84): Nolan Arenado will reportedly expand his list of teams he can be traded to, but Willson Contreras told Chaim Bloom he prefers to remain with the Cardinals.
• Pittsburgh (71-91): Rookie hurler Bubba Chandler finished the season without issuing a walk across his final three starts.

How About That!

The Mets are officially the most expensive failure of all time.

New York was the best team in baseball on June 12, but then lost 55 of 93 games.

Trea Turner won his second National League batting title with a record-low .304 average. The previous league low was .313 set by Tony Gwynn in 1988. Carl Yastrzemski won the AL title in 1968 with a .301 average. Turner was also the league’s only .300 hitter, a feat never accomplished previously.

The Dodgers were supposed to break records this season, but the playoffs will start without a 100-win team, and the tournament is wide open.

Clayton Kershaw won the final regular-season game he pitched and will now enter retirement. Los Angeles did not add the veteran lefty to its Wild Card roster, and he may not pitch at all this postseason if the team advances. The next stop for Kershaw is the Hall of Fame. He finished his career with 223 wins, three Cy Young awards, five ERA titles, one MVP, and one triple crown. Kershaw was also an 11-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, and a Roberto Clemente Award winner. He was 11-2 this season with a 3.36 ERA, and he joined the 3,000 strikeout club on July 2 against the White Sox.

The Guardians are the AL Central champs thanks to a record collapse by the Tigers, who led by 15.5 games two months ago. Detroit did make the playoffs as a Wild Card entry and gets a chance for redemption in a three-game set in Cleveland.

Pete Alonso already stated that he will opt out of his 2026 contract with the Mets.

There weren’t any no-hitters this year for just the fifth time since the 1969 league expansion.

MLB’s last no-no occurred on September 4, 2024, when Imanaga, Nate Pearson, and Porter Hodge combined to shut down the Pirates 12-0.

Wild Card Schedule

The game times are the same for both Tuesday and Wednesday. Starting times are yet to be determined on Thursday for any series that goes three games. The AL and NL division series will begin on October 4.

Tigers @ Guardians, 1:08 p.m., ESPN
Padres @ Cubs, 3:08 p.m., ABC
Red Sox @ Yankees, 6:08 p.m., ESPN
Reds @ Dodgers, 9:08 p.m., ESPN

Extra Innings

Suzuki is on one hell of a heater entering the playoffs.

FOUR straight games with a homer for Seiya Suzuki! pic.twitter.com/TEi7PCp2VA

— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2025

Apropos of Nothing

The Cubs are 26-11 and 17-3 at Wrigley Field when they score three or more runs in games started by Imanaga and Boyd. Additionally, a total of 12 qualifying Cubs pitchers were better than league average based on ERA+, led by Keller, Pomeranz, and Thielbar.

Keller was cut last year by the White Sox, who set a modern major-league record with 121 losses. Thielbar pitched in independent ball during a major-league hiatus that lasted five-plus years. Pomeranz, while settled with his family in Southern California last year, contemplated retirement. The three earned less than $5 million in combined salary. In other words, Hoyer finally piecemealed a dominant relief corps while shopping the sales racks.

For reference, the Dodgers paid Tanner Scott $72 million over four years after he rejected Hoyer’s 4/$66 million offer.

They Said It

• “I tell [my teammates] this every day: ‘Oh, you think this sucks? You know what really sucks? When you’re at home and you’re not doing this.’” – Pomeranz
• “It’s not always having the best players. That obviously helps, but the team aspect of it is a big thing, too. Hopefully, that camaraderie can help us make a run when these games get real tough and your back’s against the wall.” – Thielbar
• “I started using my legs a lot more and kind of have a little bit cleaner of an arm path. And I think a lot of that contributed to a little bit of a velo jump. I feel like this past offseason was my first healthy offseason I’ve had in a long time to where I didn’t really have to worry about doing any [physical therapy] or anything like that. Kind of just get strong and go out there and just enjoy the game, enjoy pitching again.” – Keller

Monday Walk-Up Song

Time to earn those postseason bonuses!