![]() He’s definitely got that ‘it’ factor that it doesn’t feel like things speed up on him at times. “He knows that this is a process and it’s very much a veteran way about him. “Knows he belongs but he also has a way about him that he’s not, ‘I’m the 5th starter, I’m this or that.’ “I think Hayden is a hard worker that’s very smart in knowing the information, knowing what he does well, likes to compete, is not afraid of the moment,” Ross said. Wesneski is in a battle with Assad and Adrian Sampson for the final spot in the Cubs’ Opening Day rotation and while Spring Training stats don’t mean much, they’re not completely useless, either.Ĭouple his success this spring with an impressive run in September and October last year (3-2, 2.18 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 33 strikeouts in 33 innings) and it’s hard to argue with the 25-year-old’s recent track record. M7Zibp4nJS- Marquee Sports Network March 13, 2023 That includes Saturday, when Wesneski tallied 4 perfect innings against the Dodgers. He has not allowed a run yet in 8.2 innings and has 11 strikeouts compared to only 2 walks. Those are the categories Wesneski currently leads among Cubs pitchers in Cactus League play so far this spring (through Sunday’s game). ![]() “I just think improving on what I’m really good at and keep adding to what I have to complement what I do well already,” Steele said. He doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to take the next step in his development. ![]() “If he continues to build off just having that 4-seam, slider, in to righties and away to lefties and building off that, he’s pretty darn valuable and had a really good season on that.” We’ve talked a little bit about adding the changeup and that thing being better. ![]() “I think there’s a lot of things that he learned last year that he is looking to build upon. “He looks great, put in the work,” David Ross said. To help build on his career momentum, Steele moved his family to Arizona in the offseason so he could work out at the Cubs complex five days a week throughout the winter. Steele has already teased his potential and if he can stay healthy and put it all together for a full season, the sky is the limit for the 27-year-old. “It definitely gave me a ton of confidence in what I’m doing and showed me that I was capable of doing it.” “Definitely a different spot than I was last Spring Training, I would say. “Last year after the run I went on, it just kinda showed me I’m capable of doing it and definitely put my mind in a different spot coming into this Spring Training,” Steele said. 21 was second among all MLB starters, trailing only Dylan Cease of the White Sox. Prior to going on the IL, Steele was actually on a tear and sported the best ERA in the National League over a 2-month stretch. The southpaw’s overall numbers were solid last season - 3.18 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 126 strikeouts in 119 innings - but he missed the last month of the regular season with a back injury. Steele has already enjoyed his breakout, but he could take another leap forward in 2023. There are a number of young arms in the bullpen that could break through in 2023 (including Jeremiah Estrada and Cam Sanders) but for this exercise, we chose to focus on two of the other names listed above. Rookie starters Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski settled into fill-in roles in the rotation down the stretch and impressed at every turn. Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele put themselves on the map with strong 2021 seasons and enjoyed true breakout campaigns last year - Steele as a starter and Thompson mostly as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen.īrandon Hughes burst onto the scene in mid-May and spent the rest of the season working his way into a high leverage role in the bullpen. Which young Cubs pitcher will take the next step this season? Thanks to the continued development of young pitching, the Cubs have quite a few options who could be the answer to this question: We attempt to provide answers for 23 of the most intriguing questions heading into the season. Between position battles, roster additions and new rules, there are plenty of questions surrounding the 2023 Cubs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |