‘Firing and Solid’: Chicago Cubs draw praise from one elite closer

The Chicago Cubs are one of the best teams in baseball this season, holding first place in the National League Central and having a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, who are 25-20. The Cubs have also shown their dominance by being in the top five for the best teams in the National League, and sit in the top ten for the best teams in baseball.

To be one of the better teams, the Cubs have had contributions from guys up and down their lineup and have had dominant pitching performances from their starting staff despite the injuries they’ve suffered to Justin Steele (who will miss the rest of the year) and Shota Imanaga, who is showing signs of progression. The Cubs’ dominance hasn’t gone unnoticed, with one dominant closer in the American League West being thoroughly impressed with how they have played this season.

Athletics’ closer is impressed with the Chicago Cubs’ “fiery” offense

Major League Baseball has many dominant closers, but few compare to Mason Miller, who has been great for the Athletics. In his most recent appearance on the popular baseball show on YouTube, Foul Territory, where host and former big league backup catcher Erik Kratz asked Miller who he thought the best team he faced was. Miller quickly responded by saying that the Cubs were the team that stood out to him.

“I think the Cubs were probably, I mean, it was early, but their lineup was firing, and their pitching’s been pretty solid too, so I think as far as overall impression, I think they made the biggest one on me.”

No doubt Miller is right about the Cubs

The Cubs are proving that Miller is not wrong in his assessment about them, as they sit at the top of most of the major offensive categories this season. The Cubs rank fourth in OPS (.769), tenth in team batting average (.253), third in home runs (64), and first in RBI (252).

The Cubs’ pitching, as Miller said, has been solid but still has room for improvement. The Cubs will likely be buyer at the trade deadline, and could look to make some additions to the starting staff and the bullpen to better their chances of making the playoffs.

Overall, the Cubs rank 18th in team ERA (4.00), 19th in strikeouts (361), and 18th in WHIP (1.30). The Cubs’ bullpen, as previously stated, could use an overall, as they’ve blown seven save opportunities (10/17) and have not seen Ryan Pressly be the dominant closer he once was.

If the Cubs could add someone like the Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcántara or the Minnesota Twins’ Pablo López to be at the top of their rotation and pair with Imanaga, it would give them one of the better one-two punches in the National League. If Pressly, too, can somehow work his way out of this funk he is in, and Jed Hoyer can find one more high-leverage arm to pair with righty Porter Hodge at the backend, then the Cubs will be in position to go deep in the postseason.