A new prediction has this Chicago Cubs starting pitcher winning the National League Cy Young award in 2025.
The Chicago Cubs have been looking all offseason to add another high-quality starting pitcher to their starting rotation for this upcoming season. They already having solid options at the top in lefties Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele with veterans Jameson Taillon and Mattew Boyd to fill out the three and four spots of the rotation. In a new report one of those starting pitchers named, homegrown left-hander Justin Steele is predicted to have a breakout season per a new report.
Why it’s possible for Justin Steele to breakout this season?
In a new report by Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com he thinks that the Chicago Cubs 29-year-old lefty Justin Steele will take home the 2025 National League Cy Young award. Justin Steele has been in the Chicago Cubs organization ever since he was drafted by the team in the 5th round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft out of George County High School in Lucedale, Mississippi.
Showing to that he is one of the better starters in the National League and having already finished fifth previously in the Cy Young award voting and Justin Steele not showing any signs of slowing down, it is totally possible that Justin Steele can emerge as the National Leagues Cy Young award winner for 2025.
The homegrown lefty
In four years with the Cubs Steele has accumulated 484 innings pitched, a record of 29-21, an ERA of 3.24, 496 strikeouts and a career WAR of 8.3. Steele’s best season thus far came in 2023 when he had a 16-5 record with a 3.06 ERA, 176 strikeouts, lead the league in HR/9 (.7), as well as being named an All-Star and finishing the year fifth in the Cy Young voting. Steele still showed his dominance in 2024 with going 5-5 with an ERA of 3.07, a 1.099 WHIP, 135 strikeouts, in 134.2 innings.
When looking at Steeles Baseball Savant page from this past season it really stands out. He was in the 94th percentile in both xERA (2.74) and Barrel% (4.2). As well having a great batting average against, with hitters slashing .219/.276/.336 with an OPS of .612. With these type of numbers Steele is primed to take another step forward and have the breakout season Castrovince predicts he will have.
There was a report written earlier in the offseason by Patrick Mooney and Tim Britton of The Athletic projecting that the Chicago Cubs are going to sign left-handed pitcher Justin Steele to a contract extension. Which the Chicago Cubs should really consider doing now and not after this season. If Justin Steele was to bring home the Cy Young award for this season, then the price to resign Steele is only going to go up.
Both Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele figure to be the ones leading this starting rotation for this season, and witht the Chicago Cubs trying to make the playoffs for the first time in five years they will need both Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele to be on their games for this season as well as be ready to go in the postseason for the Cubs to lean on and them go up 2-0 in a playoff series.
The Chicago Cubs will need Steele to either keep on the same trajectory he has been on, or actually breakout and have another Cy Young type season in order for the Cubs to have success. He will have stiff competition with reigning winner Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves looking to repeat and the Philadelphia Phillies looking to finally win one after missing out twice in the past five years.
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