Chicago Cubs Season in Review: Justin Steele

The Chicago Cubs may have found a gem in Justin Steele after his breakout season in the starting rotation.

Justin Steele was given an opportunity to help the Chicago Cubs in the starting rotation in 2022 and the left-hander did not disappoint. He started all 24 of his appearances for the Cubs and really found his groove towards the end of his season, which was cut short due to injury. 

While Steele finished the season with a 4-7 record, his numbers should have provided him with plenty of wins. He was arguably the most efficient starter that Chicago put on the bump in the 2022 MLB season. 

Through the first half of the season, Steele tossed 82.1 innings with a 4.15 ERA as the Cubs lineup struggled to help him out. He finished the half with a 3-6 record while the club went 6-11 in his 17 starts. On the bright side, Steele struck out 79 batters and gave himself something to lean on moving forward. 

He only had two real blowups on the mound all season and both came in the first half. Steele allowed seven runs in 2.0 innings against the Cincinnati Reds in May and allowed six runs (five earned) against the Pirates in June. Aside from those two starts, Steele was pretty reliable on the bump. 

After the All-Star break, the lefty really broke through to give a massive boost to Chicago's rotation. He started seven more games before being shut down and he was downright dominant in those seven appearances. 

While the Cubs had to manage his innings given his workload compared to recent years, Steele still performed well down the stretch. Steele allowed just four earned runs in his final 36.2 innings while striking out 47. His ERA over those seven starts was an outstanding 0.98 which dropped his season total to 3.18. 

By season's end, Justin Steele led all Cubs in strikeouts with 126 and their rotation with 9.5 strikeout to walk ration (K/BB). He became increasingly confident with his fastball and utilized his sweeping curveball to put away hitters through the end of August. 

Chicago placed Steele on the injured list with a back injury early in September and he never returned. His role in the rotation was solidified while several other pitchers needed a chance to earn spots for 2023, which gave the Cubs room to rest Steele and let him focus on next season. 

There was no bigger breakout player for the Chicago Cubs in 2022 than Justin Steele. He converted to a full-time starting role after starting just nine of his 20 appearances in 2021. Steele also gave Chicago a reliable left-handed arm with a deadly breaking ball. 

It would have been wonderful to see Steele finish his season healthy and rack up innings to prove that he can withstand a heavy workload. For now, the Cubs should be pleased with the progress he made and the confidence that he developed this season. 

Final Grade: B+

There was a slight delay in getting Steele to where he needed to be but once he found his groove, the exciting left-hander became must-watch television. Just as he got hot, an injury ended the parade but the Cubs finally saw a massive breakthrough from one of their pitching prospects. 

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