Chicago Cubs: Kyle Hendricks; The Professor’s Last Class was Pure Gold

Was today the last start for Kyle Hendricks in a Cubs uniform?

Today, Kyle Hendricks pitched what may have been his last game as a Cub. His eleven year career with the Cubs started in 2012 when he was traded from the Rangers. He started with the Tennessee Smokies in 2013 and in that year he was named the Minor League Pitcher of the year for the Cubs. 

Kyle made his major league debut at Cincinnati July 10, 2014. Ironic that his first MLB game was against the Reds and what may be his last start for the Cubs against them as well. Hendricks was named the Rookie of the Month of August in 2014. He finished that year with a 7-2 Win-Loss Record and a 2.46 ERA. 

World Series year for the Cubs

In 2016, Hendricks had the lowest ERA in all of baseball with 2.16. He won the Pitcher of the Month in August and finished the season with a 16-8 record. In game 6 of the NLCS, Hendricks pitched 7 ⅓ innings which catapulted the Cubs to their first World Series appearance since 1945.

He pitched games 3 and 7 of the World Series and was one of the core members to help the Cubs win the pennant. Hendricks is the last remaining active member from the 2016 World Series team left on the Cubs.

2024 Kyle Hendricks ERA Struggles

This year, The 34 year old Hendricks struggled with his starts. Before today, his ERA for 2024 is at 6.28 with a record of 4-12. Kyle’s first five starts had his ERA spike at 12.00, the highest ERA by a Cub in their first five starts. On April 23rd, he was put on the 15 day-IL and ended up missing nearly three weeks of play. He was moved to the bullpen on May 21, 2024. Later, when his pitching improved in the bullpen, he was moved back into the starting rotation on June 19th. 

Today, Kyle Hendricks pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings, with 81 pitches. He even managed to throw 8 pitches to score a 1-2-3 in the second inning and 7 pitches to end the fifth inning. He threw 53 strikes with 2 hits, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. After today, his 2024 ERA lowered to 5.94. After the first out in the 8th inning, Tommy Hottovy came out to relieve Kyle Hendricks to a huge standing ovation from the crowd. When the crowd would not stop, Hendricks came back out to tip his hat to the crowd.

“[Chicago is] the longest I’ve ever been in one place in my whole life, basically. It holds such a special place in my heart, in my family’s [heart]. Everyone’s been so nice to me through all the ups and downs.”

What’s next for Hendricks?

Should the Cubs re-sign Hendricks to a new deal? Would he become the 5th starter for the Cubs or would it be more beneficial for him to become a low inning bullpen pitcher? His stats in the first and second time through the batting order is still very good, its just the third time through is when he starts to struggle. If he moves to the bullpen, he would be able to stay with the Cubs and still pitch. 

“I’m not ready to say goodbye to Chicago, for sure. With everything up in the air, I’m just soaking in all these moments, as I normally would”

Kyle has expressed that he wants to continue pitching next year, so time will tell in the offseason if he will end up staying with the Cubs or moving on to a new team.

The Chicago Cubs ended up winning today’s game 3-0, after a stellar offensive performance in the 8th inning. With one game left in the season, the Cubs are looking to win tomorrow’s game, with no announcement who will start the final game of the season.