Chicago Cubs reliever Ryan Rolison’s spring training buy-in has led the lefty to a big bullpen role

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MILWAUKEE — Ryan Rolison always possessed elite talent and potential.

It’s why the 29-year-old left-hander was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft by the Colorado Rockies. Harnessing that ability at the professional level hadn’t fully come together for Rolison until this year, his first with the Cubs.

Coming off a tough rookie season in Colorado where he posted a 7.02 ERA in 31 games, Rolison has seized his opportunity with the Cubs after earning a mid-April call-up. Entering Tuesday, Rolison owns a 2.89 ERA and 146 ERA+ in 52 appearances.

“It’s been a dream come true just to be in the situation and be able to play for the Chicago Cubs and be a key piece of this bullpen,” Rolison told the Tribune on Tuesday. “I closed the game against the Brewers Thursday night and if you asked me that this time last year, I would have told you you were crazy, so I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of the organization for taking a chance on me and helping me get to this point. I’m excited that we’re in a good spot and looking to finish this year strong.”

Manager Craig Counsell remembers when the Cubs’ pitching coaches got their first in-person look at Rolison in spring training, their immediate reaction was, “Yes, we’ve got something here.” He attributes Rolison’s health as a big part of the lefty’s success this year.

“I also think this is a talented pitcher that just hadn’t found the answers yet,” Counsell said. “And there’s two things: I think we had some good answers and I think he was probably ready to hear the answers. So the teacher and the student, that old saying, they’ve got to come together, and both things have happened, along with some good health. I think we found a pitcher that we thought was capable of this, and it’s fun to see that whole process play out and be successful.”

The Cubs, who claimed Rolison off waivers from the White Sox in January, had a vision for him heading into spring training. That required buy-in from Rolison. He figured he didn’t have much to lose, pointing to his 2025 performance and noting, “Obviously results will tell you a lot, and my results last year weren’t very good.”

“If something’s not working, you’ve gotta fix something,” Rolison said. “I sat down with them and I was open to pretty much anything. I was drafted early to be successful in the big leagues and wasn’t last year. I was hungry to turn the page and show people, show myself that I can be successful at this level.”

Rolison attributes his success this season to three things: the Cubs letting him be himself and pitching freely with confidence, keeping his mindset simple by thinking about one part of the zone and ripping every pitch through there, and tweaking his arsenal, particularly with the addition of his sinker and sweeper. He described the sinker as a game-changer against lefties, while the sweeper gives him another eye-level changing movement profile in his five-pitch mix.

“Righties have been a problem a little bit, and so that’s something we’re kind of talking through with different sequence stuff, so I’m happy where I’m at right now,” Rolison said. “But I honestly think there’s a lot more left in the tank of being more dominant against right-handed hitters, and I still think there’s some potential to tap into.”

Over the course of the season, Rolison’s opportunities in leverage spots — and subsequent success in those situations — have helped him build confidence and give Counsell a reliable option for a pitching staff that has battled injuries.

“My mind’s not wavering on if I can get the job done or not,” Rolison said. “I think the more experience that you’re in those situations, it helps with the way you pitch. And I can’t say enough about the pitching side here of just showing me the numbers of, like, ‘hey, your stuff is really good compared to the rest of the league, you should be in the zone as much as you can and attack these guys.'”

Rolison has gotten a glimpse of how electric Wrigley Field can get, but he knows it’s nothing like it could be in the playoffs, something he’s heard from his teammates who were part of last year’s postseason squad. The Cubs have more work to do over the final three weeks of the regular season to guarantee at least one playoff series at Wrigley by locking down the league’s top wild-card spot.

If the Cubs are able to secure that position, Rolison’s performance will play a role in getting them there.

“Growing up as a kid, you’re watching the playoffs on TV and seeing the electricity, and that’s what you practice in the backyard of Game 7 in the World Series, 3-2 count,” Rolison said. “The fans have been great all year, and I can’t imagine what it’s like in October.”