Dominating Triple-A with elite strikeout rates and a nasty sweeper, the right-hander’s lockdown minor league metrics prove his shaky May season debut was merely a temporary fluke.
The Chicago Cubs have shuffled through an abnormal number of pitchers in the early portion.
Injuries to key starters like Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, and Edward Cabrera, and key relievers like Hunter Harvey, Riley Martin, and Porter Hodge have led the Cubs to rely on some unexpected pitchers in the first two months.
Jordan Wicks is set to make his second start of the season this weekend. Trent Thornton and Ryan Rolison have been with the big league club for multiple weeks now, and even Luke Little has gotten his shot in the majors again.
But one reliever who hasn’t had a fair opportunity this season has been Gavin Hollowell.
Hollowell spent only one day with the Cubs in early May before being optioned after a shaky outing. The North Siders recalled the right-hander on May 7, where he allowed two runs on two hits with four walks across 1 ⅔ innings against the Reds.
He was then the corresponding move for Ethan Roberts on May 8. With Roberts returning from the 15-day injured list, the Cubs made the easy decision to option the reliever who just threw 49 pitches the day before.
Although Hollowell did not pitch well in his one relief appearance with the Cubs earlier this month, he deserves another shot in the big leagues. The 28-year-old has spent the last three weeks in Triple-A and continues to showcase his all-around potential.
Hollowell has allowed zero runs across 6 ⅔ innings at Triple-A in the month of May. He has given up just two runs in the minors all season and has posted some elite metrics across his 13 ⅔ innings pitched.
The former sixth-round pick ranks in the 90th percentile in expected batting average against (.159), 74th percentile in expected slugging (.295), 72nd percentile in average exit velocity (87 mph), 92nd percentile in strikeout rate (35.7%), 93rd percentile in whiff rate (38.1%), and 93rd percentile in zone-contact rate (72.1%) among all Triple-A pitchers in 2026.
The biggest thing that stands out here about Hollowell is his swing-and-miss stuff. He’s missing bats at an elite clip in the minors and remains a high-upside strikeout pitcher. His sweeper plays a big part in that, as that pitch has a 112 psStuff+.
It’s simply time to give Hollowell another shot in the majors. He has been a quality reliever at Triple-A throughout the year and has the stuff to provide strong numbers in this Cubs' bullpen.
