Hunter Harvey

Hunter Harvey's public perception has cratered since signing with the Cubs, sitting at a D- sentiment grade despite being one of the more intriguing offseason additions to a rotation that currently sits at 24-12 and second in the National League Central. The narrative shifted almost immediately from optimistic profile pieces and signing day buzz to a drumbeat of injury updates after a triceps issue landed him on the 15-day IL, draining the goodwill that typically accompanies a first-round pedigree — Harvey was the 22nd overall pick back in 2013 — and a clean offseason move. The disconnect between sentiment and on-field grade couldn't be starker: his performance grade holds at A+, meaning the underlying talent evaluation remains elite, but a reliever who isn't pitching can't rehabilitate public perception no matter how strong his résumé looks on paper. What makes the sentiment hole deeper is that the Cubs have been actively cycling through bullpen arms — signing Phil Maton, Vince Velasquez, Ethan Roberts, and Daniel Palencia in rapid succession — reinforcing the public read that his absence is genuinely felt and that the front office is scrambling to fill a real gap. At $6M AAV, early IL time invites the kind of scrutiny that a mid-contract reliever can usually avoid, and the "hopeful to throw this week" framing in recent coverage signals progress without providing the concrete return date fans and media need to pivot away from the injury story. The good news is that the sentiment trend is moving in the right direction — trending up from an F just weeks ago — so if Harvey gets back on a mound soon, this D- is a floor, not a ceiling, for a Cubs team that still looks built to contend.