Mike

Awesome read here from Mooney and Sharma on the state of the Cubs’ system as a whole, specifically the pitching development. Absolutely recommend reading. The Cubs have made major strides in increasing velocity on the minor league side, and have also made major staff changes. Both Triple-A pitching coaches have been dismissed and Double-A instructors have been promoted. The article says the Cubs acknowledge that Hottovy, Jacobsen, and Zombro may have been spread too thin in their roles, prompting the Cubs to hire Rylan Domingues from the Phillies as pitching analytics coordinator, and expect to create another role to assist at the major league level with pitching game planning. Part of the reason the Cubs pitching was so poor in 2026 was because of poor injury luck and lack of depth at the lower levels. It takes time to build up a stronger system, but the Cubs are taking big steps in the right direction. The 2026 Cubs’ draft class was extremely pitching-heavy, and their success will be an early test for the revamped system.