Justin Steele Bio
Justin Carl Steele (born July 11, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021 and was selected as an MLB All-Star in 2023, the same year he finished fifth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. A left-handed starter known for his command and pitch mix, Steele has developed into one of the most reliable arms in the Cubs rotation.
Early Life and Background
Justin Carl Steele was born on July 11, 1995, in Lucedale, Mississippi, and was raised in the nearby community of Agricola. He is the son of Ben Steele and Nicki Clark, and grew up alongside his older brother, Jordan. Steele and Jordan spent much of their childhood practicing baseball in the family backyard, where both developed their love for the game.
Steele attended George County High School, where he starred as a two-way player. During his sophomore year, while rehabilitating a lower back injury, his fastball velocity increased to around 90 mph, a change that drew the attention of college recruiters and professional scouts. As a junior in 2013, he posted a 7–3 record with a 1.94 earned run average (ERA) and 98 strikeouts in 61 and one-third innings pitched, while also playing outfield and designated hitter and batting .326 with three home runs and 23 runs batted in. As a senior, he went 5–1 with a 0.98 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 43 innings, including two no-hitters.
Path to Professional Baseball
Coming out of high school, Steele had committed to play college baseball at the University of Southern Mississippi. Instead, the Chicago Cubs selected him in the fifth round, 139th overall, of the 2014 MLB Draft. He signed with the Cubs for a $1 million bonus and made his professional debut that summer with the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs, where he posted a 2.89 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 18 and two-thirds innings.
Steele climbed steadily through the Cubs minor league system, advancing from Low-A Eugene in 2015 to Single-A South Bend in 2016. After a difficult start in 2017 with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, his season ended early due to an injury that required Tommy John Surgery. He returned in 2018 and pitched across three levels, including a stint in the Arizona Fall League, and was added to the Cubs’ 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Justin Steele Career
Early Career (2014–2020)
Across his early professional years, Steele showed flashes of potential mixed with injuries and command issues. After his 2016 struggles with South Bend, he bounced back at Myrtle Beach in 2017, going 6–7 with a 2.92 ERA in 20 starts before tearing his UCL. His 2018 return was encouraging, as he combined for a 2.31 ERA across 11 starts at three affiliates.
His 2019 season at Double-A Tennessee was rough, as he went 0–6 with a 5.59 ERA in 11 starts. He did not play in an official game in 2020, when the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That same year, he received his first major league promotion on August 2, 2020, but was optioned back to the minors four days later without appearing in a game.
MLB Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Steele was promoted to the majors again on April 12, 2021, and made his MLB debut that night against the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out the first batter he faced, Daniel Robertson. He finished his rookie campaign with a 4–4 record, 59 strikeouts, and a 4.26 ERA.
In 2022, Steele took a clear step forward, going 4–7 with a 3.18 ERA and 126 strikeouts across 24 starts. After the All-Star break, he was dominant, posting a 0.98 ERA with 49 strikeouts over seven starts before a back injury ended his season early.
All-Star and Cy Young Caliber (2023)
The 2023 season marked Steele’s arrival as a frontline starter. He went 16–5 with a 3.06 ERA and 176 strikeouts over 30 starts. On September 4, he set a career high with 12 strikeouts and earned his 16th win in a 5-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. He was named an All-Star and finished fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting.
Chicago Cubs Era (2024–Present)
On March 9, 2024, the Cubs named Steele their Opening Day starter. He exited that start with a left hamstring strain and went on the 15-day injured list on March 30 before being activated on May 6. He made his starts consistently until September 2, when he was sidelined by elbow soreness and later diagnosed with left elbow tendinitis, which sent him back to the injured list on September 4.
Steele opened the 2025 season in Chicago’s rotation, going 3–1 with a 4.76 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 22 and two-thirds innings over four starts. On April 13, 2025, the team announced that he would require season-ending surgery on his left elbow, later specified as a revision repair of his left ulnar collateral ligament.
Pitching Style and Strengths
Steele is a left-handed pitcher who works with five pitches, relying most heavily on a cut four-seam fastball in the 89–92 mph range and a slider at 81–84 mph. Those two offerings account for roughly 87% of his pitches, and in 2023 he threw his fastball and slider about 96.6% of the time. He also mixes in a sinker, a changeup, and a curveball, throwing from a 45-degree arm angle. Batters struggle to square him up because he generates movement through spin and seam action that his arm slot does not naturally produce, allowing him to succeed without elite velocity.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Steele’s signature moments are his 2023 All-Star selection, his fifth-place finish in Cy Young voting, and his 12-strikeout performance against the San Francisco Giants on September 4, 2023. He was also named the Cubs’ Opening Day starter in 2024, underscoring his role as a staff leader.
Justin Steele Career Wins
Steele’s win totals have grown alongside his role with the Cubs, peaking during his 2023 All-Star campaign. The chart below summarizes his key major league seasons.
MLB Highlights
Steele’s first major league win came during his 2021 debut season, when he finished 4–4 with 59 strikeouts. He then surged in 2023, when he went 16–5 with 176 strikeouts and a 3.06 ERA, his first All-Star year. In 2024, despite a hamstring injury that delayed his start and a late-season elbow issue, he remained a key piece of the rotation before being shut down in September.
Other Wins and Performances
Steele’s minor league résumé includes strong stretches at Eugene and a promising 2017 at Myrtle Beach, where he posted a 2.92 ERA before injury. He also gained valuable experience in the Arizona Fall League after the 2018 season.
Justin Steele Family
Family Background and Athletic Lineage
Steele comes from an athletic family. His father, Ben Steele, played college football at Alabama, and his grandfather played college basketball at Southern Miss. His older brother, Jordan, was a pitcher at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and the two brothers grew up playing baseball together in the family backyard.
Personal Life
Steele proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Libby Murphy, in 2022, and the couple welcomed a son in July 2022. Outside of baseball, Steele hosts a podcast on the Barstool Sports network titled “Steele the Show.”
2025 Season Performance
Steele began the 2025 season in Chicago’s starting rotation and went 3–1 with a 4.76 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 22 and two-thirds innings over four starts. His campaign, however, was cut short on April 13, 2025, when the Cubs announced that he would require season-ending surgery on his left elbow. The procedure was later specified as a revision repair of his left ulnar collateral ligament, a setback that will shape the Cubs’ rotation plans heading into the next year.