As the Chicago Cubs look to utilize explosive arms in the bullpen, right-hander Daniel Palencia and left-hander Luke Little could play big roles by the end of the season.
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Daniel Palencia celebrates after closing out the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago on July 19, 2023. MESA, Ariz. — Daniel Palencia did not need much of an introduction to his new manager Craig Counsell the first time they met.
“It’s great to work with somebody that knows what you do and knows you well and has seen you pitch,” Palencia said. “ told me, ‘Hey, I know what you can do and I know you can have success up here.'” Palencia primarily relied on his four-seam fastball and slider last year, but he learned to throw a splitter in the offseason and plans to use his sinker more, a pitch he threw only six times with the Cubs in 2023, according to Statcast. He wants to throw his splitter to generate whiffs and to set up his fastball.
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Luke Little throws during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. “I know I can face anyone, get anyone out,” Little told the Tribune of his takeaway from the majors. “Obviously, just the confidence is the most important part of being up there. If you go into an outing knowing or thinking you’re going to do bad or like, ‘Oh God, I’ve got to face this lineup,’ then things are going to go bad. But I didn’t really think like that.”
Little added a splitter in the offseason to his fastball-slider pitch mix, something he first started fiddling around with in 2022 at Low-A Myrtle Beach. The pitch initially featured all his fingers on the ball before turning it into a more traditional “V” grip last year. Little didn’t throw it during his brief stint in the majors after uncorking a bad one during his first in-game warm-up.
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