Ethan Roberts Bio
Ethan Michael Roberts (born July 4, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed relief pitcher, he first reached the major leagues in 2022 with the Cubs before briefly departing the organization and returning in 2024.
Roberts played his college baseball at Tennessee Technological University, where his strong junior season drew the attention of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs selected him in the 2018 MLB Draft, setting him on a professional path that has spanned the minor leagues and the major league roster.
Early Life and Background
Ethan Michael Roberts grew up in the Sparta, Tennessee area and attended White County High School, the same school that has produced a long line of local athletes. He developed as a pitcher in the high school program, working on his mechanics and arm strength while also playing other positions during his teenage years.
Roberts played college baseball at Tennessee Technological University, located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Tech program gave him the opportunity to face consistent college-level hitting and to develop into a late-inning relief option. As a junior in 2018, he went 6–1 with a 2.41 earned run average and 14 saves over 71 innings pitched, numbers that put him on professional scouts’ radar heading into that year’s draft.
Path to Baseball
Following his 2018 junior season at Tennessee Tech, Roberts was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft. The selection reflected the organization’s belief that his mix of command and breaking ball could play in a major league bullpen.
Roberts signed with the Cubs and was assigned to the Eugene Emeralds for his first professional season. The Emeralds’ pitcher-friendly environment in the Pacific Northwest gave him a measured introduction to professional hitters, and he logged 15 innings during his debut campaign.
Ethan Roberts Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Roberts opened his professional career with the Eugene Emeralds in 2018, posting a 5.40 earned run average over 15 innings while adjusting to the longer professional schedule. The Cubs liked enough of what they saw to push him up a level the following year.
In 2019, Roberts began the season with the South Bend Cubs of Low-A before earning a midseason promotion to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Over 59 relief innings between the two clubs, he went 4–5 with a 2.59 earned run average, 13 saves, and 54 strikeouts, establishing himself as a reliable late-inning option in the lower minors. He did not play in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the minor league season.
Chicago Cubs Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Roberts began the 2021 season with the Tennessee Smokies and was promoted to the Iowa Cubs in early August. Over 39 relief appearances and 54 innings between the two clubs, he went 4–2 with a 3.00 earned run average and 72 strikeouts, performance that pushed him onto the organization’s major league radar.
On November 19, 2021, the Cubs added Roberts to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. On April 4, 2022, it was announced that Roberts had made the Opening Day roster. He made his MLB debut on April 9, throwing one scoreless inning of relief against the Milwaukee Brewers.
His rookie season was cut short by injury. In early May, Roberts was placed on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. On June 23, 2022, it was announced he would undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his season, and on November 17, 2022, he was non-tendered and became a free agent.
Return to the Chicago Cubs (2023–Present)
On December 2, 2023, Roberts re-signed with the Cubs organization on a minor league contract. He made 12 scoreless appearances across the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Cubs, Double-A Tennessee, and Triple-A Iowa, striking out 13 in 11 and 1/3 innings, a stretch that moved him back into the team’s major league plans.
On June 16, 2024, the Cubs selected Roberts’ contract, adding him to their MLB roster. In 21 appearances for Chicago, he posted a 3.71 earned run average with 26 strikeouts across 26 and 1/3 innings pitched, re-establishing himself as a major league reliever. Roberts was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to begin the 2025 season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Roberts’ first major league outing, a scoreless inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 9, 2022, marked the realization of a path that began in Sparta, Tennessee, and ran through Tennessee Tech and the Cubs’ minor league affiliates. His return to the Cubs in 2024, followed by 21 appearances and a sub-4.00 earned run average, represented a notable bounce-back after Tommy John surgery.
Ethan Roberts Career Wins
Across his time in the Chicago Cubs organization, Roberts has been used primarily as a reliever, with most of his success coming in save situations in the minor leagues. His 14 saves as a junior at Tennessee Tech and 13 saves across South Bend and Myrtle Beach in 2019 established him as a late-inning option before he advanced to Double-A and Triple-A.
Minor League Highlights
Roberts collected 13 saves in 2019 between the South Bend Cubs and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, his first full professional season of late-inning work. In 2021, between the Tennessee Smokies and the Iowa Cubs, he posted a 3.00 earned run average with 72 strikeouts over 54 innings, the kind of numbers that put him in position for a 40-man roster spot that offseason.
Ethan Roberts Family
Personal Life
Ethan Michael Roberts was born on July 4, 1997, and grew up in the Sparta, Tennessee area, where he attended White County High School. He continued his education and playing career at Tennessee Technological University in nearby Cookeville.
2025 Season Performance
Roberts entered the 2025 season optioned to Triple-A Iowa, giving the Cubs bullpen additional depth and Roberts a chance to log consistent innings coming off his 2024 return. The arrangement allows the Cubs to recall him as needed while keeping him stretched out at the highest level of the minors.
Coming off a 2024 campaign in which he posted a 3.71 earned run average with 26 strikeouts in 26 and 1/3 innings over 21 major league appearances, Roberts remains a candidate to contribute again in the Chicago bullpen. His combination of strikeout ability and prior major league experience positions him as a potential midseason call-up.
For Roberts, the 2025 season represents a chance to build on his post-surgery return and re-establish himself as a long-term piece of the Cubs’ relief corps, with the team holding the option to recall him from Iowa whenever the major league staff needs an arm.