Cubs have their ace if Justin Steele can accomplish his personal goal for 2025

For the better part of three years, Justin Steele has been as reliable as they come at the top of the Chicago Cubs starting rotation. Seventy-eight starts, a 3.10 ERA, 134 ERA+ and 3.14 FIP across 427 innings of work.

Coming off last year's disappointing 83-79 campaign in which the Cubs missed the postseason again, many believed the front office would make a serious push to add a top-of-the-rotation arm to the mix alongside Steele and Shota Imanaga. That's not what happened, with the team's two 'biggest' rotation additions being left-hander Matthew Boyd and swingman Colin Rea.

That means Chicago will need more than ever from Steele: a call he's looking forward to answering in a big way.

“We’re definitely on the same page as far as getting 30-plus starts, 180-plus innings,” Steele told Marquee Sports Network. “We both kind of have the same goals and mindset going into the season.”

Cubs hoping for more of the same from Justin Steele heading into 2025

Steele has made 30 starts once, two years ago, and has never surpassed the 180-inning threshold, peaking at 174 frames during that breakout 2023 season in which he finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting. But don't let that take away from his resume. The left-hander has been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball over the last two years.

That success has come in spite of Steele missing a major chunk of the first half after undergoing an Opening Night hamstring injury and elbow soreness late in the year led to another IL stint. Avoiding those IL stints seems to be top of mind for Steele and the Cubs as he ramps up down in Arizona.

Given Imanaga's fly-ball tendencies and the possibility that Wrigley Field isn't as pitcher-friendly as it was last year, there's the potential for regression there. Javier Assad, in competition for the final spot in the rotation, also feels like a guy who could move in the wrong direction. That could put more pressure on Steele to anchor the staff this year, but if there's anyone built to respond to the pressure, it's the 29-year-old southpaw.

“Justin’s definitely established a track record,” manager Craig Counsell said before the game. “He’s been very consistent from that regard, And absolutely, that’s not easy to do, and it’s a real credit to Justin of how he’s been able to do it.”

Consistency has been the name of the game for Steele and, while it might not garner the headlines that utter dominance does, it's critical for a team like the Cubs who, despite playing in one of the league's projected weaker divisions, seem to have a very slim margin of error again in 2025. If he can maintain that consistency and push 200 innings, there's no doubt who will be the go-to guy come October.