SURPRISE, Ariz. – It was easy to have flashbacks of Opening Day last year as Cubs left-hander Justin Steele went up against a regular-season-like Rangers lineup in a Cactus League start Friday.
“I didn’t pull my hamstring, which was a good thing,” Steele said with a smile.
He had done just that the last time he faced Texas, prematurely ending what was shaping up to be a strong Opening Day start as he reached for a bunt up the first base line. So, his main focus this offseason was putting himself in the best position to make 30 to 32 starts.
“Feel like my stuff’s good,” he said. “Feel like when I’m out there and pitching, I do a pretty good job. I keep our team in the ball game. I give us a chance to win almost every time out. And that’s kind of what I want to pride myself on, being consistent.”
He’s been honing his arsenal this spring and made sure to mix in his changeup and sinker a little extra on Friday, in his second spring training start. In an efficient outing, he only threw 33 pitches in three innings, but three of those were sinkers and three changeups.
After exiting, Steele headed to the bullpen to throw about 20 more pitches, he estimated, to stay on schedule in his pitch count ramp up.
“If I can get to a spot where I’m as comfortable with the changeup, curveball, in any count as I am with the four-seam and the slider,” Steele said, “then I think that would take me to a whole ‘nother level.”
Steele is already at a pretty solid level. Two years ago, he earned his first All-Star selection and finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting. Last season (3.07 ERA), he just about matched his ERA from the year before (3.06) and still made 24 starts after being sidelined for a little over a month with that hamstring strain.
Manager Craig Counsell agreed that Steele could reach an even higher ceiling.
“But 180 innings is also better,” Counsell said. “I want to stress that.”
Steele, who is lined up to start Game 2 of the Tokyo Series in about two weeks, tailored his offseason program to the early schedule. He said he took about 10 days off after the season ended to travel and spend time with family and he’s been throwing regularly since.
After feeling good about his changeup, sinker and four-seam fastball Friday, Steele plans to work on his slider in his next bullpen. That was the pitch Kyle Higashioka put over the fence for the only two runs the Ranges scored against Steele.
“But I felt like it was a pretty decent pitch that he got a hold of,” Steele said. “When I got back to the dugout, [pitching coach Tommy Hottovy] showed me a heat map, and it was like, ‘Yeah,that guy hits 1.200 OPS against left-handed spin.’ So, maybe don’t throw that during the season.”
Cubs 8, Rangers 8
Rule 5 Draft pick Gage Workman launched his second home run of the spring over the right field berm for two runs to tie the game in the fourth inning. Workman pulled into the lead as the only Cub with multiple home runs this spring.
- Minor-league first baseman Haydn McGeary also homered. He led the team in RBI Friday, thanks to a three-run shot in the seventh.
- The Cubs, undefeated through nine spring training games, have recorded three straight.
- On deck: Guardians at Cubs, 2:05 p.m. Saturday, Mesa, Marquee, 670-AM, Joey Cantillo vs. Colin Rea.
Cubs at Royals, 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Ben Brown vs. Cole Ragans.