2024 has barely begun and there are already predictions regarding who’d be the next Cy Young winner. While this discussion is endless, there’s something to be said about the surprising names that have come up during this talk. In an Exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Senior Pitching Coordinator of the Chicago Cubs, Casey Jacobson, named the Cubs’ ace Justin Steele as a possible Cy Young winner.

Is it surprising? Maybe, but then Steele was one of the major breakout stars of last season. With numbers and age on his side, one could believe that Steele could be a strong contender next year. But sometimes talent’s not enough, one needs to work hard. Luckily, Steele has only a few peers in this department as well.

Chicago Cubs ace to win the next Cy Young award?

2023 was positive in more than one way for the Cubs. After a few seasons of struggle, the team finally came into its own. One of the leading causes of this change was the breakout of Justin Steele. The pitcher struck gold in his 3rd season and came 5th in the NL Cy Young voting. It was this performance that encouraged Casey Jacobson who predicted during an Exclusive interview with EssentiallySports that Steele could get a shout for the Cy Young award.

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“I mean, if I don’t go with a home pick with Justin Steele, I feel like I’m probably not doing ourselves service. But having him see some love at the end of the season for Cy Young was unbelievable.” Jacobson shared his happiness regarding the high praise that the Cubs ace got.

In a season where Steele pitched to a 3.06 ERA, it was his 173.1 innings that caught everyone’s attention. This showed that the pitcher has some longevity, and that’s something that Jacobson noted. “There’s not going to be a lot of people that will outwork Steele or are going to be competing Steele. So I’d love to see him have another really strong season to back up what he was able to accomplish last year,” Jacobson shared.

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Eventually, the Senior Pitching Coordinator hoped that by the end of the season, the Cubs ace could belong in the same conversation as the current Cy Young winner. “If things go a little bit different down the stretch, he’s probably in that conversation with Snell. So I’ll put my money on that horse all day.” 

One certainly hopes that the 27-year-old Steele finds another gear in 2024. The Cy Young race will certainly be interesting this upcoming season. But more importantly, he could be the engine that takes the Cubs back to the promised land.

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