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CHICAGO -- Lefty Shota Imanaga and first baseman Michael Busch have enjoyed breakout rookie seasons for the Cubs in 2024. Along with that duo’s contributions to the starting rotation and lineup, rookie right-hander Porter Hodge is putting the finishing touches on a stellar debut in the Major Leagues, where he has emerged as a high-leverage arm in Chicago’s bullpen.

“For a 23-year-old kid in his first experience in the big leagues, he carries himself like a veteran,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said over the weekend.

Hodge was promoted from Triple-A Iowa on May 17, and he made his Major League debut on May 22. He struck out the side in the ninth inning of a 9-2 loss to the Braves by punching out Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson. That was part of Hodge’s initial six-appearance stint in the Majors before the Cubs optioned him to Iowa on June 7.

Hodge, who was recalled from Iowa on June 19, has a 1.98 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 41 innings over 37 appearances this season, with 50 strikeouts and 19 walks. He has converted seven of 10 save opportunities.

“A lot of learning [with] things that I've been put into and situations that I've been able to come into,” Hodge said of his rookie campaign. “It’s been a fun season, for sure.”

This is Hodge’s first season as a full-time reliever; he made 35 appearances with Double-A Tennessee in 2023, including 12 starts. He pitched exclusively in relief last season beginning with a June 21 outing against Pensacola, the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate.

In his education on the mentality that is necessary to pitch out of the bullpen, Hodge has learned to flush outings while knowing that he could then be called upon to pitch the next game.

“Sometimes it can be hard, but mentally, you just have to remember it's part of the game,” Hodge said. “You’re gonna have your ups and downs, and you’ve just gotta go with the flow.”

As far as pitching in high-leverage spots, Hodge described his mentality as, “[It’s] like, ‘You're in my box. I'm gonna come after you.’”

Since the Cubs recalled Hodge from Iowa in June, he has been among the key figures in a resurgent bullpen that, after a slow start to the season, has recorded one of the best ERAs in the Majors since July. Hodge also closed out Chicago’s combined no-hitter on Sept. 4 against Pittsburgh with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Cubs’ bullpen ERA through June: 4.32 (21st in the Majors)
Cubs’ bullpen ERA since July: 3.15 (fifth)

“From where he started to where he is now, he’s come a long way and his confidence has grown,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Really, with Porter, it's strike-throwing. It started with [that], really. It was getting in the strike zone just a little bit more and being more competitive with every pitch. That’s first. He’s a talented arm.

“… It's confidence, it's repeatability [with his delivery], and he got to a place where he unlocked a bit of that, and it led him to take a big jump.”

Hodge has been working on incorporating a splitter into his arsenal to use alongside his four-seam fastball and slider. He struck out Joey Gallo looking with it to open the ninth inning on Friday. Hodge picked up the save as the Cubs beat the Nationals, 3-1.

“He takes care of [his body] tremendously,” Hottovy said. “And then just to his consistency of who he is as a person, he's very lighthearted. He likes to joke around. He likes to be laid back. But then when that phone rings and it's his time to go, he becomes a different person. He goes out there and absolutely dominates. So it's been really fun to see with him.”