MESA, Ariz. — Entering his 5th big-league season, there’s a level of certainty in terms of what to expect from Justin Steele.

Fans saw a glimpse of it Saturday at Sloan Park in the Cubs’ 7-3 win over the White Sox: 2 innings, 5 strikeouts, no runs.

Over his last three seasons, Steele has been remarkably consistent — and a front-of-the-line caliber pitcher. Here’s his stat lines over the last three seasons:

“Justin’s definitely established a track record,” manager Craig Counsell said before the game. “He’s been very consistent from that regard, And absolutely, that’s not easy to do, and it’s a real credit to Justin of how he’s been able to do it.”

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Now, the challenge for Steele and the Cubs is how to build upon that. It’s an age-old question in sports — it’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, of course. How can Steele get better? How can he contribute to more wins for the Cubs?

Well, for starters it’s increasing the games pitched and innings.

“We’re definitely on the same page as far as getting 30-plus starts, 180-plus innings,” Steele said. “We both kind of have the same goals and mindset going into the season.”

In Steele’s case, improvements aren’t necessarily going to come from trying to decrease the ERA by a certain amount or trying to work to add velocity or stuff to add more punchouts. Steele knows what works for him and how to be a successful major leaguer, now it’s just about him being on the mound more in a season.

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Last year a hamstring injury on Opening Day cost him the month of April and then left elbow tendinitis resulted in a 15-day IL stint. So Steele spent the offseason preparing his body to be out there more frequently, using his experiences from previous offseasons to dictate his approach this winter.

“It’s definitely not necessarily the finest of lines, but there is a fine line there,” the lefty said. “You don’t want to push too hard and end up injuring yourself, even if you’re just training and working out in the offseason.”

Steele has established himself in the big leagues. Now he wants to take the next step by being out there more consistently. Just don’t call him a veteran.

“We’re not gonna get there,” Steele said with a laugh.”