How Chicago Cubs coaching brought life to two veteran arms

The Chicago Cubs pitching staff has been besieged with injury and misfortune all throughout the season. But it’s a testament to the true grit of the team and to the coaching staff behind them that we’re not telling a tale of disaster and “what ‘til next year” right now.

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The coaches have been the unsung heroes of this team—and there are two specific examples on the pitching staff of where that steady leadership hand has paid dividends.

Jacob Webb and David Peterson came to the team under very different circumstances, but both have excelled as Cubs in their respective roles.

Jacob Webb steps up

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The 32-year-old Webb was picked up on a free agent contract that covers this year for $1.5 million, with a $2.5 million club option for 2027.

Acquired to be a solid middle relief roster fill, he’s stepped into the high-leverage late-inning role after a mass wave of injuries crippled the bullpen. He’s been lights out in that role, posting a 2.38 ERA through 53 innings, and is crediting Cubs coaching with helping add to his pitch arsenal.

“They’re very good at what they do with pitch grips, pitch design, all that stuff,” Webb told MLB.com. “So they were like, ‘Let’s transition to the curveball and try to work on a bullet slider.’ And it happened quick — real quick.”

“Having the trust from the manager is amazing, and obviously the team, too,” Webb added. “I feel like I was always kind of built for this role and never really had the bigger opportunities to kind of fill that role. For me, it’s just been however I can help the team, whatever that may be. But, it’s definitely awesome being able to step up.”

David Peterson’s revitalized sinker

Meanwhile, Peterson, who languished with the New York Mets in a swingman role, has become a steady starting rotation presence since being acquired via trade on June 25. Aside from one awful outing, the 30-year-old veteran has been rock-solid with a 2.29 ERA in seven starts.

The secret with Peterson was in getting his sinker locked in and letting the Cubs’ stellar infield defense handle the rest.

“Our goal when we got him was to get the sinker shape dialed in,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told The Athletic. “He’s got a lot of versatility in the spin efficiency and the shape of that pitch because of some mechanical things that have been going on with the delivery. He’s very long-limbed; it’s hard for him to sync all that up at times…So the delivery timing is crucial for him,” Hottovy said. “If he’s not on time, it’ll be very spinny.”

Obviously, it worked. Best of all for the Cubs, he regained his form right in the crucial period between the end of June and the trade deadline when the rotation was especially stressed from the loss of Edward Cabrera and the inefficiency of Jameson Taillon.

What both Webb and Peterson have in common is that they’re now operating at a higher level than they’ve seen, arguably, at any point of their careers. And Cubs coaching helped nurture those improvements.

“That’s what’s so great about pitching,” manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com. “You don’t have to stop, like, ‘This is who I am and I can’t change and I can’t improve.’ Pitchers have, really, that big ability to add something, to do something a little better, find a new grip, find a new way to use their stuff to mix it together.”

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