Cubs Make Decision on Pitching Coaches After Chaotic 2026

While the Chicago Cubs will inevitably make some changes to their bullpen and starting rotation, the coaching staff will remain the same.

According to a report by The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma, the full expectation is that the Cubs will keep pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and assistant pitching coach Casey Jacobson. On the surface, the decision may surprise some after a rather disastrous end to 2026. Not only was the bullpen a major problem down the stretch, but the team's starting unit was inconsistent at best.

The long ball was a particularly jarring problem for the Cubs this season. Chicago gave up 231 home runs during the regular season, which marked the most by any playoff team and the second-most in the Majors (behind only the Athletics). Things were so bleak that Jameson Taillon was released midway through the season, and the Cubs were forced to target two starters at the trade deadline.

We also can't ignore Edward Cabrera's consistent struggles. Acquired for a pretty penny during the offseason to serve as a potential ace, the former Marlins starter imploded. The Cubs would eventually move him to the bullpen, where he looked just as lost.

Nevertheless, how much of that should really be put on the shoulders of Hottovy and Jacobson?

Cubs Will Keep Pitching Staff Intact

The story of the Chicago Cubs' pitching staff in 2026 can't be told without acknowledging the overwhelming number of injuries. Does that absolve everyone of the poor performance? No, but it only made life harder for these coaches.

It's also not Hottovy's or Jacobson's fault that the bullpen ended up as unreliable as it did. At some point, the blame has to be put on the players themselves, let alone the front office minds that put the group together. Jed Hoyer even sat in front of media members after the season and took full responsibility for the broken bullpen. He made several moves that simply didn't pay off.

Heck, if anything, the fact that the Cubs did stay afloat in the NL Central race for as long as they did is a testament to the coaching staff's hard work. They were able to get some solid production from a rather makeshift group of relievers and starters amid major injury troubles.

Hottovy, in particular, has done this time and again in the past. The Cubs have been known to take a rather bold approach with their pitching, taking multiple chances on less-established relievers or lower-tier starters. They have consistently gotten the best out of these kinds of players, with names like Colin Rea, Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Theilbar, and Javier Assad coming to mind. Heck, they even deserve credit for turning Matthew Boyd into an All-Star and helping Ben Brown flip the script.

Indeed, when looking at the more complete picture in recent years, the Cubs have actually done a lot with a little. Should they invest more in this department to really kick a World Series run into high gear? Absolutely. But that's not a coach's job. Hottovy and Jacobson simply have to work with what they have, and they have continued to do a solid job of that.

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