Justin Steele is a perfect example of why it’s not always a good idea to scout pitching prospects’ stat lines. The 24-year-old lefty was 0-6 with a 5.59 ERA for Double-A Tennessee this past season, but those numbers don’t come close to telling his story. Injuries limited him to just 38.2 inconsistent innings and obscured the obvious talent that led the Cubs to keep Steele on the 40-man roster for 2020.
As much as everyone loves to gawk at filthy breaking pitches and big radar readings, none of that matters if a pitcher can’t stay on the mound or repeat his delivery.