Today we look at the Cubs’ new flamethrowing reliever, a former first-round pick (#22 overall in 2013 by Baltimore), who has been in The Show since 2019.
Hunter Luke Harvey, son of former MLB reliever Bryan Harvey, came to the Cubs as a free agent, signing on New Year’s Eve, and is expected to take on a short relief/setup role, perhaps picking up save opportunities if Daniel Palencia is tired or unavailable.
In seven years split between Baltimore (where he was their No. 1 pick in 2013), Washington and Kansas City, Harvey has posted career numbers of 10-11, 3.11, with 11 saves, a 4.0 bWAR ( 3.6 fWAR) and a 1.10 WHIP. He is on a one-year, $6 million deal, with a 2027 mutual option. He’s had 201 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 17 home runs in 185 innings, all of which are just fine, but he has struggled with injuries since 2024. That’s the risk, but he’s a high-reward-potential kind of arm and should serve the Cubs well with judicious use.
Keep him healthy and there will be returns. He’s a complementary arm but, as said, he brings the heat — one of his offerings was clocked at 99.8 mph, and he has consistently thrown in the 97-99 zone, with a n average of 95.7-96.1, with a very (+2000) spin rate. That’s good stuff, and a very different look for the Cubs’ bullpen, which hasn’t been very high-velocity, but seems to be turning that corner. He also throws a splitter (19.2 percent), slider (18 percent), and curve (9.6 percent).
He’s extremely likely to head north with the team after Spring Training concludes and presumably will be locking down the seventh or eighth in preparation for Palencia to step in and close the deal.
The 31-year-old will need careful handling. But high 90s with +spin is in vogue, and for good reason.