Jeremy Jeffress was a breath of fresh air to the Cubs bullpen in 2020.
When Craig Kimbrel faltered as closer, Jeffress took over the role and did very well with it, posting eight saves in nine chances. He allowed runs in just three of his 22 appearances and had solid overall numbers: 1.54 ERA, 0.943 WHIP.
Some of his peripherals are a bit concerning. His walk rate was up — 4.6 per nine innings — and his K rate, 6.6 per nine innings, was the second-lowest of his career.
But he got outs when he needed them, generally, so what’s the big deal about not striking guys out?