Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele is firmly in the mix for his first National League Cy Young award.
Steele struck out a career-high 12 in an eight-inning masterpiece against the San Francisco Giants on Monday, en route to his 16th win of the season.
(Video source: MLB.com)
"I love that his name is getting mentioned in that - he deserves that," Cubs manager David Ross said Monday, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
Steele is tied for the NL lead in wins and ranks favorably in a handful of other important pitching categories.
| Stat | NL rank |
|---|---|
| Wins | 1st |
| ERA | 2nd |
| HR/9 | 1st |
| fWAR | 3rd |
| WHIP | 8th |
Despite being mentioned in the Cy Young conversation, Steele remains focused on helping the Cubs' postseason push.
"It's really cool. It's quite the honor," Steele said. "But, for me, I just want to keep showing up every day and winning ballgames. I really like where the team's at."
Cubs catcher Yan Gomes has formed a strong battery with Steele.
"September is usually when the Cy Youngs come out," Gomes said. "When you're having outings like this, the voters like it, man."
In 26 starts for the Cubs this season, Steele owns a 16-3 record with a 2.55 ERA and 153 strikeouts across 152 innings.
