Chicago Cubs Starter Justin Steele Looks to Continue Dominant Second Half
When the Chicago Cubs' 2021 season ended last October, left-handed pitcher Justin Steele had only made nine starts, but was already penciled in to be a part of the 2022 starting rotation.
Now, we are beginning to see why.
Across 23 starts this season, the 27-year-old has a 3.25 ERA across 113.2 innings of work. With only 46 walks, his 120 strikeouts are the most amongst all qualified Cubs starting pitchers.
Steele has already put up career-best figures in multiple stat categories—BB/9, K/BB, ERA, OPS against, and quality starts—all but emphasizing his strong sophomore campaign. However, it’s been his performance in the summer months that have gotten attention from around the league.
In six starts since the All-Star break, the left-hander has been one of the most dominant arms in the NL. Steele ranks second amongst all pitchers (min. 30 IP) since the break with an 0.86 ERA. His 41 strikeouts rank eighth, while his K/9 (11.78), and K% (31.5) both rank fourth.
The stretch of dominance can be traced all the way back to June when the lefty delivered two starts of seven innings only allowing two runs or fewer. The month also saw 29.2 innings pitched, the second most of any month in his young career.
With a 2.11 ERA in 21.1 IP, July was much of the same. The five earned runs he allowed in the month are the fewest in any one-month span in his career.
Across four starts in August, Steele has posted an incredible 0.79 ERA in 22.2 IP while allowing just two earned runs on 19 hits. His 33 strikeouts come behind three starts with nine or more strikeouts, the first time he has done so in a single month on the mound.
To offer an even better idea of how well his August is going, the month has seen his ERA on the season drop from 3.67 to 3.25.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele pitching this season at Wrigley Field.
© Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
The Missouri native has a classic pitch mix that revolves around a four-seam fastball, slider, and curveball. When comparing his repertoire from this season to last, it’s evident that he has worked with Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy on his off-speed pitches.
Steele is throwing his slider almost 15% more this season, offering a wicked off-speed pitch that sits at an average of 82 mph. The increased usage has clearly paid off: the wOBa on the pitch has lowered from .301 to .164 from 2021 to 2022.
When Steele takes the mound to face the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, it will be the sixth time he faces them this year. He has faired well through the first five starts against them, earning one win across 25.2 IP allowing just six earned runs for a 2.14 ERA.
Despite the currently struggling Brewers' offense, both outfielder Christian Yelich and shortstop Willy Adames have appeared to see the ball well against Steele. Yelich is 4-for-11 at the plate, while Adames has a .930 OPS against him.
As he continues his hot summer stretch, it has offered excitement to Cubs fans that their young pitching staff could be the backbone of the organization’s future.
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