Aaron Bummer was added to the Cubs as a left-handed pitching option, but his current performance has been poor. From 2020 to 2024, he produced a near-30% strikeout rate and kept the ball on the ground 64.4% of the time, including elite groundball seasons. After struggles in 2023, he was traded to the Braves and rebounded in 2024, but his strikeout rate has dropped further since. Over 15.1 innings in 19 appearances, he has a 7.63 ERA and an 8.62 FIP, with 10 walks and only 13 strikeouts. Six of 18 hits allowed have been home runs, and his exit velocity and hard-hit metrics rank in the bottom percentile. He has also shifted his pitch mix toward more curveballs and four-seams, while his curveball has been his worst pitch and his hard stuff velocity has declined.
"From 2020-24, Bummer posted a nearly 30% strikeout rate while keeping the ball on the ground 64.4% of the time. That latter mark was better than all but two of the 589 MLB pitchers with at least 100 innings in that span, and Bummer's 76.1% clip in 2021 was the second-best season out of 2,527 pitchers with at least 20 innings in any one of those five campaigns."
"In just 15.1 innings over 19 appearances, Bummer has a 7.63 ERA with an 8.62 FIP. He has walked 10 batters with just 13 strikeouts, and six of the 18 hits allowed have gone for homers. That home run total is as many as he's allowed in any two consecutive seasons in the past, and he's in the 1st percentile of MLB pitchers for average exit velocity (93.6 mph) and hard-hit rate (54.7%)."
"Once more of a sinker/sweeper guy, Bummer has dialed both back significantly to incorporate more curveballs and four-seams. I'm not sure that's the best idea when his hard stuff is sitting 90-91 after being 94-96 in his prime. And the curve has been his worst pitch by far, so I'm not really sure why it's being used at all."
Read at Cubsinsider
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