Predicting the Chicago Cubs 2017 September callups

Rob Zastryzny, LHP

The Chicago Cubs called left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny up to the big leagues late last season and he had a lot of immediate success. In seven relief appearances and one spot start, Zastryzny posted an impressive 1.13 ERA, allowing only two earned runs in 16 innings of work. However, this season has not gone as well for the young left-handed pitcher.

Zastryzny has dealt with injuries all season long and has not had much success either in Triple-A or the major leagues. He has been called up to the big leagues a couple of times this year, but only pitched once, allowing three earned runs in four innings of work in a mop up role.

While he has not been great this season, Zastryzny could still be called up and be a solid option in the Cubs’ bullpen. I wouldn’t expect much out of him, but Zastryzny could easily be an innings eater for this team in certain situations.

Jack Leathersich, LHP

Jack Leathersich is a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher who has had a strong year at Triple-A this season. According to FanGraphs, Leathersich has an incredible 37% strikeout rate at Triple-A. That is encouraging for obvious reasons, but his 14.9% walk rate is far from ideal.

Leathersich got a big league opportunity earlier in the year, but it did not exactly go well, as he allowed two earned runs in only two-thirds of an inning. Leathersich is an interesting lefty who has a lot of natural upside. However, his control is a major issue. I would not expect to see him in many big situations, but the Chicago Cubs are likely to call Leathersich up as another interesting left-handed bullpen option.