The Cubs have made huge strides in their pitching development since 2019, when they finally realized and moved to correct their philosophical and personnel-based shortcomings. A huge part of that overhaul was hiring former longtime pitcher and certified genius Craig Breslow as Director of Strategic Initiatives in January of that year. He was elevated to Director of Pitching a few months later and was named assistant GM and VP of Pitching in November 2020.
In those roles, Breslow has overseen the Cubs’ pitching development infrastructure as it’s gone from a laughingstock that failed to produce any arms of note to one of the most respected units in the game.