Justin Steele #35

Justin is in his 10th season in the Cubs organization...is 8-11 with a 3.53 ERA (69 ER/176.0 IP) in 44 games (33 starts) after making his major league debut in 2021....Owns a career 18-23 minor league record with a 3.44 ERA (133 ER/348.0 IP) over 89 outings (80 starts)....Was added to the Cubs 40-man roster Nov. 20, 2018....Received Carolina League mid-season All-Star honors in 2017, as he went 6-7 with a 2.92 ERA (32 ER/98.2 IP) over 20 starts with Single-A Myrtle Beach....Was named a MiLB.com Cubs Organizational All-Star in both 2015 and 2017....Selected by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 2014 draft out of George County High School in Lucedale, Miss....Was named 5A Player of the Year in Mississippi by state coaches in 2014 and won the Mississippi Hall of Fame Award for High School Baseball the same season... Went 5-1 with a 0.98 ERA in eight games, striking out 92 batters in 43.0 innings....Was committed to the University of Southern Mississippi before signing with the Cubs.

2022

In 24 starts in 2022, Justin went 4-7 with a 3.18 ERA (42ER/119.0 IP), 50 walks, 126 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP....Finished among the team leaders in strikeouts (1st),strikeouts per batter faced (1st, 4.06), home runs per 9.0 IP(1st, 0.61) and innings pitched (2nd, 119.0)... His season was cut short when he was put on the Injured List Sept. 2 with a low back strain....Posted a 2.78 ERA (22 ER/71.1 IP) at Wrigley Field, allowing two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his 14 starts....Recorded his first two career 10-plus strikeout games, doing so on May 15 at Arizona and Aug. 5 vs. Miami... Became the first Cub draftee with a 10-strikeout game since Jeff Samardzjia (May 16, 2014 at San Francisco)... On Aug. 5 vs. Miami, became the second starter in Cubs history to record 10-or-more strikeouts in 4.2-or-fewerinnings pitched (also Bill Caudill, August 17, 1979 vs San Diego)...also joined Miami's Trevor Richards as the only two pitchers in MLB history to allow no runs and strikeout 10 batters in 4.2-or-fewer innings....Became the 11th lefthander in Cubs history to strike out nine-plus batters in consecutive outings, May 15-21... Became the first Cub to record 19-plus strikeouts in at wo-start span since Yu Darvish (20, Sept. 4-9, 2020) and the first lefty to do so since José Quintana (21, Aug. 13-18, 2019)....Went unbeaten in seven-consecutive starts from May 31-July 4, going 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA (13 ER/34.2 IP) during that stretch....In July and Aug. combined, made nine starts and posted a1.46 ERA (8 ER/49.1 IP), which leads the majors in the stretch(min. 45.0 IP) ... his 0.96 ERA (3 ER/28.0 IP) in the month of August was fourth-lowest in the Majors during that span. 

2021

Made his major league debut in 2021, going 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA (27 ER/57.0 IP) in 20 games (nine starts) for the Cubs... Held left-handed hitters to a .098 average (4-for-41)... Made his major league debut April 12 in Milwaukee, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings in relief... Went 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA (3 ER/13.1 IP) in his first 11 appearances out of the bullpen, before missing from May 21- July 8 with a strained right hamstring... Was activated from the injured list and optioned to Triple-A Iowa on July 8 ... pitched in nine games (5 starts) for the I-Cubs, going 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA (4 ER/27.1 IP)... Was recalled and made his first major league start Aug. 10 vs. Milwaukee ... suffered the loss, allowing three runs over 5.0 innings... Earned his first win as a starter on Sept. 1 in Minnesota ... became the first Cubs rookie with a start of at least 5.0 scoreless innings with one-or-fewer hits allowed since Sean Marshall, May 17, 2006, vs. Washington... Struck out a career-high seven batters over 7.0 scoreless innings in his last start of the season, Sept. 30 in Pittsburgh.

2020

Justin spent a majority of the season at the South Bend alternate site...was recalled by the Cubs, August 2, but did not appear in game prior to his option back to the alternate site, August 5.

2019

Spent the entire season with Double-A Tennessee, going 0-6 with a 5.59 ERA (24 ER/38.2 IP) in 11 starts...was placed on the injured list, June 22, with a right abdomen strain and missed the rest of the season.

2018

Made his season debut, July 3, and went a combined 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA (12 ER/46.2 IP) in 11 starts between rookie league Mesa, Single-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee ... Began the season on the disabled list as he continued recovery from Tommy John Surgery in August of 2017 ... In five outings with Mesa, he posted a 1.47 ERA (3 ER/18.1 IP) and fanned 27 batters, while walking just four ... Went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA (5 ER/18.1 IP) in four starts with Myrtle Beach ... earned his first promotion to Double-A Tennessee and posted a 3.60 ERA (4 ER/10.0 IP) in two starts ... pitched a season-high 6.0 innings in his final start of the season, August 31 vs. Pensacola (3 H, 1 R).

2017

Justin earned Carolina League mid-season All-Star honors as he posted a 2.92 ERA (32 ER/98.2 IP) in 20 starts with Single-A Myrtle Beach ... Season was cut short in early August as he was placed on the disabled list, August 2, and underwent Tommy John Surgery ... Allowed two or fewer earned runs in 12-straight starts from May 5-July 16 ... Held lefties to a .229 average against, while righties batted .278 ... Struck out 82 batters, while walking 36 ... pitched a season-high 7.0 innings, May 24 vs. Winston-Salem.

2016

Justin went 5-7 with a 5.00 ERA (43 ER/77.1 IP) in 19 starts with Single-A South Bend ... Struck out a season-high 10 batters in 6.0 innings, May 18 at Great Lakes ... Had three starts of at least 5.0-scoreless innings.

2015

Spent the entire season with Single-A Eugene, going 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA (12 ER/40.2 IP) in 10 starts ... Began the season going 3-0 with a 1.08 ERA (3 ER/25.0 IP) in his first five starts, including wins in three-consecutive outings.

2014

Made his professional debut with the Mesa Cubs, posting no record and a 2.89 ERA (6 ER/18.2 IP) in nine games, including four starts.