The Cubs appear to have their one-two punch in the rotation set for the 2024 season. With just over a week until opening day, Justin Steele and rookie left-hander Shota Imanaga are coming off promising starts in Mesa. Steele and Imanaga make up two-thirds of the left-handed arms in Craig Counsell’s first rotation as the Cubs skipper. Young southpaw Jordan Wicks will accompany the other two in his first full season in the show.
The Pride of Lucedale
Steele was named the opening-day starter last week, the first nod in his young career. He most recently worked against Milwaukee at Sloan Park last Tuesday and looked rather sharp. Despite allowing two runs, Steele only gave up four hits in four innings in the hill. The southpaw punched out nine Brewers’ in his first real ramp-up start in Spring Training.
Justin Steele’s 3Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/2HfI88SqiM
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 13, 2024
Steele is coming off a breakout season in 2023. The 28-year-old was in the running for the NL Cy Young award before a rough month of September knocked him out of contention. He finished the campaign with a 16-5 record across 30 starts. Steele was sixth in baseball with a 3.06 ERA, alongside a 1.17 WHIP. There is no doubt that the former fifth-round pick is deserving of getting the opening day start. It shows that the new era of Cubs pitching has officially arrived, and the Lucedale, MI native has cemented himself as half of this rotation’s one-two punch moving forward. Steele is the first lefty to get the nod on opening day since Jon Lester was the Cubs’ first pitcher to begin the season from 2017-2019.
New Kid on the Block
Imanaga agreed to join the Cubs on a friendly four-year contract. The 30-year-old has spent the last eight years in the NPB as a member of the Yokohama Bay Stars. He finished his tenure in the NPB with a 3.18 ERA and a 64-50 record.
After a rocky start in Spring Training, Imanaga followed up Steele’s solid performance last Tuesday with an impressive outing of his own. Against the A’s last Thursday, he tossed four and a third scoreless innings while only allowing three hits. Imanaga also racked up nine strikeouts in the 3-1 win.
Shota Imanaga was striking EVERYONE out 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EJDSNfsv7s
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) March 14, 2024
The former Bay Star will use his deceptive delivery to elevate his game to the highest level he has ever played. He looked sharp against Team USA in last year’s World Baseball Classic, the first action MLB fans saw of Imanaga. Despite his fastball sitting in the low-to-mid 90s, his off-speed stuff will be the X-factor if Imanaga succeeds in Chicago.
Lead the Way
Even though the NL Central is up for grabs this season, someone grabbing the division crown is no easy task. For the teams favored toward the top of the division, it all begins with their rotations. Can the one-two punch of Steele and Imanaga rival the new-look rotations in St. Louis and Milwaukee? Cincinnati could very well be in the mix as well down the stretch. If the Cubs can get the same version of Steele from 2023 (maybe even a little better) to go alongside their new shiny toy in the rotation, their chances look strong.
Main Photo Credits: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
