Chicago Cubs Fifth-Round Pick Soars In Recent 2014 Draft Review

The Chicago Cubs have gotten plenty in return in taking this pitcher in the fifth round of the MLB Draft 10 years ago.

Jun 13, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

In 2014 the Chicago Cubs selected Kyle Schwarber in the first round. In a year he was in the Majors and after six seasons he was off to Washington.

What was the return on that selection? He batted. 230 with 121 home runs and 279 RBI. He appears poised to pass those numbers as he plays his third season with the Philadelphia Phillies.

But the Cubs may get more out of another pick in that draft.

Recently, The Athletic did a re-draft of the 2014 MLB Draft, as it’s been 10 years.

Later in that draft, Chicago selected a pitcher in the fourth round out of George County High School in Lucedale, Miss. — left-hander Justin Steele.

If the 2014 Draft were held today based on current production, Steele would be the No. 8 overall pick. Back then the Colorado Rockies took a left-hander, Kyle Freeland, with that pick. He’s still with the Rockies.

It took Steele several years to reach the Majors, as part of his career was derailed by Tommy John surgery in 2017. He returned in 2019, but then COVID-19 canceled the 2020 minor league season.  

The Cubs did call him up briefly in 2020, but he never pitched.

He made his MLB debut in 2021 and went 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 20 games (nine starts). He struggled in 2022 with a 4-7 record in 24 starts with a 3.18 ERA.

But, last season, Steele had a breakthrough.

He put together by far the best season of his career, as he went 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA and earned his first All-Star nod. He struck out 176 and walked 36. He also finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting — an award Blake Snell won. The Top 5 finish earned Steele a $1 million bonus.

Entering this season Steele earned the Opening Day start and was cruising until he suffered a hamstring injury that put him on the injured list for about a month.

While the record doesn’t look great — he’s 0-3 — he has a 3.22 ERA in nine starts and has struck out 48 and walked 13 in 50.1 innings.

In the re-draft, that actually puts Steele ahead of Schwarber, who checked in at No. 10.