PHILADELPHIA — The two men who have managed Cubs left-hander Justin Steele at the major-league level seized on the same quality that has helped turn him into a standout starter.
David Ross would always compliment Steele for his ability to simplify his thoughts on the mound. Craig Counsell often describes him as a “clear-head competitor.”
What got him to that point?
“Probably not having success thinking a lot,” Steele said earlier this season. “Probably trying to be too smart out there, trying to overthink things and think through every little thing, and it not working out. And just realizing we are playing a game out here; you’re supposed to enjoy it, have fun. And I feel like when I’m doing my best, I’m not really thinking about the ins and outs of baseball. I’m just out there pitching and having fun.”
In his last start of the season, as the Cubs beat the Phillies 10-4 on Tuesday, Steele allowed just two runs in four innings.
Even on a pitch limit, he was poised to go back out for the fifth until a battle with Edmundo Sosa went 12 pitches long. Steele won, inducing Sosa to pop out to end the inning.
“Gave us what we needed, and finished on a strong note, and finished healthy,” Counsell said. “And that puts him in a good position.”
Tuesday was also Steele’s second start back from a short IL stint for left elbow tendinitis. It was his second injury of the year. He also strained his hamstring fielding his position in the season opener against the Rangers. But he bounced back quickly to still make 24 starts and make sure both injuries didn’t define his season.
“I would say the main thing I’ve learned is that I’m capable of coming back pretty quickly from them and still going out there and throwing competitive innings,” Steele said. “Even as the season’s winding down, still going out there, competing . . . showing them I’m healthy. For me, it just proves a lot to myself.”
In a game that’s overflowing with information, simplicity can be overlooked. It was a huge factor in unlocking Steele’s breakout 2023 season. He infamously refocused his arsenal to mostly rely on his four-seam fastball and slider.
Incredulity followed. He couldn’t possibly keep up that level of success over a whole season basically throwing two pitches, could he?
When he did, the goal posts shifted: OK, maybe one year, but two?
Steele said he’s most proud this season of how he continued to develop his sinker and changeup.
“Not just being complacent with what happened last year and who I was last year,” he said. “Just constantly trying to get better.”
Steele struck a balance between subtly increasing the usage of his other secondary pitches without straying from his strengths. He called his sinker to left-handed hitters, in particular, “a game changer.” And its effects have shown up in his platoon splits. Lefties entered Tuesday with a .175 batting average against him.
Still, he’s mostly throwing his fastball and slider. And opposing hitters know that. And he’s still getting outs.
Steele had a 3.07 ERA through his start Tuesday, and that even included a stretch early in the season when he was pitching better than his final lines suggested.
Simple plan. Clear mind.
“It’s one of those things that’s very much a gift,” Counsell said. “And I think Justin’s got it.”
Veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks, another pitcher lauded for his steady mentality, noticed that “it” factor in Steele from his debut 2021 season. He called it “competitive fierceness.”
“You can’t teach that,” Hendricks said. “From day one, seeing him have that, you knew he was going to have a good chance. Where he’s gone with it and taken it is probably beyond what any of us even thought.”