This is Day Nine of a Cubsmas Advent Calendar. You can read the explanation for the project and Day One here.
The Cubs’ best pitcher in 2023 was Justin Steele. The 28-year old lefty put together a season worthy of Cy Young consideration, and while he ultimately faded down the stretch, he finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting on the back of a 16-5 record over 173u2153 innings with a 3.06 ERA and a 3.02 FIP. It was an impressive performance, and Steele’s ability to repeat it next season is a key to the 2024 Cubs’ success, so today I wanted to take a look at what worked for Steele in 2023 and if it’s more fact or fluke.