Ivy League Cubs

By: Jake Russell

Julian Merryweather had quite the successful 2023 campaign with the Chicago Cubs after he was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. He had 98 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA in 72 innings, becoming one of the most reliable options for David Ross’s bullpen towards the end of the season. During the season, he hit 101.7 MPH, the hardest pitch by a Cubs pitcher since Aroldis Chapman was with the team (although Daniel Palencia hit 102 in 2024).

Expectations were understandably high for Merryweather in 2024, but after just 4 appearances he was placed on the IL due to a right shoulder strain. His velocity was noticeably down nearly 2 MPH from 2023 through those first 4 appearances, and he would spend nearly 4 months on the IL before coming back.

Unfortunately, things did not go to plan for Merryweather after he came back on July 23rd. In 10.1 innings, Merryweather gave up 10 runs, walked 7, and his velocity was still down. On August 25th, his 4-seam Fastball averaged just 93.7 MPH, as he gave up 4 runs and was subsequently placed on the IL with right knee tendinitis.

Player Grade: D

2024 was certainly disappointing for Merryweather, but Jed Hoyer and co clearly think there is enough left in the tank to keep around for the cheap price of just over 1.2 million dollars. It was a pretty small sample size for Merryweather this year, but it was a rough showing for him. I don’t know if a D grade is totally fair to him given injuries, but I also don’t think he should realistically get higher than that.

I’m glad the Cubs decided to keep him around, because there is obvious upside in the tank, and 15 innings of work can be very susceptible to random variance, especially for relief pitchers. However, Merryweather likely needs his stuff to be at its absolute peak given his lack of command. At his best, Merryweather has 3 elite pitches–his Fastball, Changeup, and Slider all graded out incredibly well in 2023. I know I sound like a broken record, but the key to success for Merryweather will be regaining the velocity he lost.

Whether that will be through off-season programs and training, or through simple injury recovery, remains to be seen. But obviously, the Cubs think there is still something left in the tank for Merryweather to have a productive 2025 season.

One other thing to note for Merryweather is that he is out of MiLB options, so he is likely a virtual lock to make the Opening Day roster unless he is hurt. I think that further serves to show how much confidence this FO has in him.

Picture Credit: Matt Dirksen, Getty Images