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Jackson Roberts is a Newsweek contributor based in Hoboken, NJ. His focus is MLB content. Jackson has been with Newsweek since July of 2025 and previously worked at The Sporting News and MLB Network. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. You can get in touch with Jackson by emailing j.roberts@newsweek.com
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Kyle Hendricks has seen just about everything Major League Baseball has to offer. But he’s never faced the Chicago Cubs.
Hendricks, 35, pitched for the Cubs for 11 years. He was the last member of the 2016 World Series squad to remain on the roster, and he’ll always be the answer to the trivia question of who started the clinching game that wound up breaking Chicago’s 108-year curse.
Though Hendricks appears to be nearing the end of his career, he’s still getting consistent starts for the middling Los Angeles Angels. In 24 appearances, he carries a 4.93 ERA and has only 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: Kyle Hendricks #28 of the Los Angeles Angels throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 19, 2025 in Anaheim,…
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: Kyle Hendricks #28 of the Los Angeles Angels throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 19, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
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Mulcahy/Getty Images
So, with the knowledge that this season could be his last, Hendricks seems to be looking forward to pitching against his longtime ballclub on Sunday in the two teams’ series finale.
“It’s a little different, for sure,” Hendricks said, per Field Level Media. “For the Cubs fans, it might be a little shocking, but I’m just still loving life, enjoying what I do. But really cool to have the Cubs in town right now. Just excited.”
Hendricks also confessed that he tends to root for the Cubs, who play in the National League and therefore don’t bear much harm to the Angels in the standings when the two aren’t playing each other.
“I’m a huge baseball fan, so you’re dialed in and following kind of everything,” Hendricks said. “I’m super-excited for what they’ve been doing this year. … I’m just really excited to see what they can do going into October. Rooting nothing but the best for them.”
Chicago has won the first two games of their series at Angel Stadium, and a much-needed sweep on Sunday would go directly through the right arm of Hendricks.
So who has the edge: the pitcher who saw most of these hitters take at-bats every day last season, or the hitters who stood behind Hendricks for all 130 2/3 innings he threw in his last season in blue?
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