Cubs beat Cardinals: Like Hendricks, Steele has found success through simplicity
Justin Steele is carrying on a Cubs tradition.
Standing on the mound, he doesn't resemble Kyle Hendricks all that much, being left-handed with a sharp breaking slider. Steele is from Mississippi and Hendricks Mission Viejo. But in style, they've become very similar.
Heading into Wednesday's action, Steele led the National League in ERA using mostly two pitches, a four-seam fastball and slider. According to baseballsavant.com, he's used one of those two pitches 95% of the time this season.
Hendricks generally mixes a sinker, changeup and fastball, but what these two pitchers have in common is success through simplicity. Hendricks, currently rehabbing from a shoulder strain, took the humble route when asked about the comparison.
"I appreciate you saying that," Hendricks said. "I wish I had his stuff. I think the deceptiveness that's there, that's something I try to rely on for sure. It's so simple mechanically. It's deceptive, you can tell. They just can't pick it up."
Steele delivered what was technically his worst outing of the season Wednesday, but it was still a quality start and an easy 10-4 victory over St. Louis at Wrigley Field. Steele (6-0) allowed 3 runs, 7 hits and 3 walks, but completed 6 innings on 91 pitches to earn the win.
"I felt really good tonight," Steele said. "It felt like I had all my pitches working, threw some good change-ups, threw some good sinkers. Felt like I was moving my four (seam) around when I needed to and I wanted to."
The Cubs broke out of their weekslong power slump in a big way. Patrick Wisdom and Yan Gomes homered, both 2-run shots. Seiya Suzuki, Christopher Morel and Ian Happ added doubles, while Dansby Swanson clubbed a pair, giving him 5 doubles in the last three games.
With his 12th home run, Wisdom is one behind the Mets' Pete Alonso for the major-league lead. Gomes went 3-for-3 in his first game back from a concussion.
Asked if he's tried to incorporate any of Hendricks' style into his game, Steele didn't offer any specific examples.
"I've learned a lot from Kyle. He's a very intelligent guy," Steele said. "He's an open book as well. He's always wanting to help, always wanting to spread his knowledge. I compliment him for always being willing to give me advice."
Hendricks notoriously has one of the slowest fastballs in MLB. He hasn't thrown consistently in the 90s since 2016.
Steele's fastball has averaged 92 mph this season, certainly not considered overpowering in today's game. But he hit 95 mph three times against the Cardinals on Wednesday, his three fastest pitches this year.
"That's not something I'm necessarily worried about, but like I said, I felt really good tonight, my arm felt loose," Steele said. "When I felt like I needed to grab a little more velo to try to get it by them or something, I felt like it was there tonight."
Steele's pitch mix in this game was 64% fastball and 31% slider. He's gone as high as 70% fastballs against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and has also been closer to 50-50 with his main pitches.
"Working those two pitches off of each other, they are two elite pitches, and if he's just in the zone and pounding it, you see the results you get, the soft contact," Hendricks said. "As far as the soft contact, attacking, I would like to be more like him now in that way, to be honest with you.
"He's just absolutely getting after it. It's so much fun to watch his development and being one of the top starters in the game now."
It should be just a matter of time before Hendricks joins Steele in the Cubs rotation. Hendricks tossed 5 scoreless innings Tuesday in his third rehab start and the plan is for him to pitch again Sunday for Iowa.
"Just watching (Hendricks) over the years, watching how he was able to get outs with the stuff he had, it made me a lot more confident," Steele said. "He gave me the confidence like, 'Your stuff plays in the zone. If you're able to locate your pitches, you'll be able to induce weak contact.' Watching him and listening to him has definitely helped me."
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