The Chicago Cubs took their record to 16-16 on Friday afternoon after beating the Miami Marlins, 4-1.
It’s a somewhat mediocre win-loss record given that the team has an excellent +45 run differential.
In these cases, the team usually starts winning games in bunches at some point, so the Cubs should be better in the future.
They have been carried by three specific starters: Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly, and a somewhat surprising one: Justin Steele.
Steele completely stymied the Marlins offense on Friday and earned another win for his team.
“@J_Steele21 is sporting a 1.45 ERA this season, good for best in the NL and 3rd in @MLB!” the Cubs tweeted.
.@J_Steele21 is sporting a 1.45 ERA this season, good for best in the NL and 3rd in @MLB! pic.twitter.com/Uw4bWjOBec
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 5, 2023
On Friday, Steele pitched seven frames with just one earned run allowed, six hits, and no walks.
He struck out four in front of the home crowd at Wrigley Field.
With the brilliant outing, Steele keeps confirming that his hot start is not a fluke.
The left-hander had already shown his talent in 2022, with a 3.18 ERA in 119 frames.
This year, however, he is taking another step forward in the run-prevention department.
As good as Smyly and Stroman have been so far, Steele has been the best pitcher in the Cubs rotation.
Besides his fantastic 1.45 ERA that paces the National League, he has struck out 32 hitters and holds a really solid 0.96 WHIP in 36.1 innings.
He has been truly masterful, by using mostly his four-seam fastball and a really solid slider.
Only time will tell if he can keep dominating like this with mainly two pitches, but it’s not unheard of.
For now, Cubs fans are enjoying the ride for as long as it lasts.
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