MESA, Ariz. — It wasn’t too long ago that what Justin Steele could provide for the Chicago Cubs was an unknown. Was he best used as a reliever? Could he handle going deep into games and a full starter’s load?
Six starts into the 2022 season, those questions persisted. He was carrying an ERA above 5.00 and had completed five innings just once. But something clicked over his final 18 starts. Steele averaged a tick above 5 1/3 innings over that stretch and posted a 2.69 ERA.
In 2023, he delivered a 3.06 ERA and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting to go along with his first All-Star nomination. He followed it up with a 3.07 ERA in 2024, though a hamstring strain on Opening Day and then a late-season issue with his elbow limited him to 24 starts. Still, he’s done enough now for manager Craig Counsell to feel like he knows what he’ll get when Steele toes the rubber.
“Justin’s definitely established a track record,” Counsell said. “He’s been very consistent in that regard. That’s not easy to do and it’s a real credit to Justin. Talking to Justin, it’s definitely a goal to just be out there for every single start day. Because of that consistency, good things will unfold.”
“Definitely on the same page as far as getting 30-plus starts and 180-plus innings,” Steele said of Counsell after his first Cactus League start of the spring Saturday. “We both have the same goals and mindset going into the season.”
Sharp stuff, @J_Steele21. 👏 pic.twitter.com/IWayik2Tcd
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 22, 2025
When a pitcher starts to establish themselves as Steele has, questions arise as to whether there is another level to reach. But Counsell doesn’t see it as something where Steele needs to add a pitch or change anything about how he attacks hitters.
“It’s not necessarily getting better, but maybe it’s (being) better about taking care of your body so maybe you can avoid something,” Counsell said. “But I think Justin’s delivering some pretty good performances. You’re working around the edges when you’re trying to get better. It’s going to be real little things. Just being there for 30 starts is really Justin’s goal this year. That makes the Cubs better.”
Steele said it’s a fine line during the offseason in not pushing himself too hard because that could lead to injury and a lost season. This winter, he spent the bulk of it in Arizona working closely with the training staff.
“We did a really good job this offseason of making sure my body, my shoulder, everything was in a good place coming into spring training,” Steele said.
Steele looked in midseason form Saturday, striking out five and allowing two soft singles in two scoreless innings of work. He missed both barrels and bats, saying he “felt really good” and that his arm felt strong.
It doesn’t appear either he or Counsell is looking for him to reinvent himself or change much of what he does. But Counsell pointed out there’s a constant battle players have to wage as they get deeper into their careers.
“The league’s adjusting to you, and you have to adjust to the league,” Counsell said. “I think every pitcher faces that to some degree. That game within the game never stops for guys. How a certain team may decide to approach you. So I think Justin’s going to keep doing that and really never stop.”
Without a top-of-the-rotation arm added to the group this winter, it’s all the more important that Steele, along with Opening Day starter Shota Imanaga, stays healthy and comes close to last season’s results. Chicago’s talent level isn’t on par with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it doesn’t have the recent success of the Atlanta Braves or even the New York Mets. But the Cubs are in what looks to be a weaker NL Central and have upgraded their lineup, bullpen and overall depth during the offseason.
Hopes are high not just from the outside, but within the group as well. A return to the playoffs feels like a must in 2025.
“I think it’s kind of expected in the locker room,” Steele said.
(Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images)
