As the MLB season hung in limbo in 2022 due to the lockout, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy took a stroll to the backfields of the Cubs’ facilities at Sloan Park to watch some minor leaguers.

As he settled in, a portly right-handed pitcher throwing a bullpen session caught his eye.

“Who is this guy?” Hottovy thought. “Cause he was just executing everything in a bullpen. It was just — doing whatever. The stuff wasn’t crazy, but I was just like, ‘Man, this guy can pitch.’”

So, Hottovy started asking around the Cubs front office, wanting to learn more about the righty that impressed him.

“‘Oh, it’s Javi [Assad], you’ll love him. Just a pitcher,’” Hottovy said. “Everybody kept saying that.”

Later that season, with the Cubs needing a pitcher to start late in the year, the Cubs called up the Mexican pitcher to make a start against St. Louis at Wrigley Field. He was solid in his major-league debut, tossing 4 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts. He followed that up with another solid outing in Toronto, silencing the Blue Jays over 5 innings and ended the year with a 3.11 ERA in 37.2 innings.

But, as Spring Training ramped up in 2023, Assad looked far from a certainty to even be on the Opening Day roster. Then, he left Cubs camp to represent Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic — and opened eyes, on a global level.

Assad tossed 3 scoreless innings in relief against a potent Team USA, striking out slugger Pete Alonso twice and keeping a star-studded lineup of Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and others at bay. He followed that up with 2.2 shutout innings against Puerto Rico in the quarterfinal.

That performance helped him crack the Cubs’ Opening Day roster as a swingman in the bullpen and after some struggles early on, developed into a key member of their pitching staff. As a multi-inning reliever, Assad had a 3.07 ERA in 55.2 innings. But he always wanted to start — and shined in 10 starts for the Cubs mid-year, posting a 3.02 ERA.

In his first start of September last season, Assad twirled the best game of his career, tossing 8 shutout innings with 7 strikeouts against the Reds as the Cubs chased down a postseason berth.

When the lights were brightest, he stepped up.

“I think he has always had a little bit more velocity in the tank when he wants it, but I see a guy gaining confidence and he should,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said this week. “He really has a good mix and it’s not a soft-tossing mix. It’s not like he’s just out there, low 90s all the time. He has 94, 95 mph when he wants it. The 2-seamer is a really, really good pitch.

“I’m certainly a believer in him as a pitcher, and I hope he keeps gaining confidence in what he’s doing.”

Yet, as the Cubs opened the 2024 season, Assad was far from a lock to crack the Cubs’ Opening Day rotation. With multiple starting pitching options and a track record of success as a reliever, Assad looked like he could open the year as a swingman again. Then, an injury to Jameson Taillon paved the way for Assad.

He took the opportunity and ran with it.

Through his first 4 starts, he had a 2.11 ERA and, along with Shota Imanaga helped stabilize the Cubs rotation through the first few weeks of the season. But the doubts still lingered.

After his 4th start of the year, a 4.1 inning performance against Miami, Assad was asked about what role he saw himself fitting into — a starter or reliever. Normally a calm person, Assad had the slightest edge to him when he heard the question — to him, that no longer was a question. But Assad took a moment and answered the question respectfully.

“I have the role of starter right now,” Assad said. “They haven’t said anything on the contrary. I’m focused on that and my next start.

“They haven’t asked me to relieve, but if they do, I’ll simply be [physically] strong and mentally strong for what comes. But right now, I’m focused on being a starter.”

The moment sums up who he’s been his whole professional career — overlooked and underappreciated, but his competitive nature carries him as he tries to show how good he really is.

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He illustrates it on the mound. Assad carries himself with the demeanor of a veteran pitcher, not a 26-year-old with less than 2 years of MLB service time. He trusts his stuff and pounds the zone, daring hitters to do damage.

“I think it’s one of those things that’s in his blood,” veteran catcher Yan Gomes said. “I think we’ve seen that a lot with the Latin guys or even Mexican pitchers, they got that thing in their blood, they’re aggressive in the zone and they’re very confident pitching with every pitch.”

And now the results are showing.

Assad (1.66) has the fourth-best ERA in baseball, behind only Zack Wheeler, Reynaldo López and his teammate, Imanaga (1.08). The pair have combined to be the early-season aces for one of the best starting pitching staffs in baseball.

“I think he’s gotten better and better, which is what I think you hope with guys,” Hoyer said. “Saying that I thought he’d be pitching at this level, I think that’d probably be a stretch. I think that he’s certainly opened a lot of eyes, but nothing he’s doing is a surprise.

“He’s just putting it all together right now. He’s executing at a really high level with good stuff, and he’s got a really good creative mix. He had those elements; he’s just putting them all together.”

It’s a long journey for Assad from the minor leaguer who was throwing a bullpen on the backfields of Sloan Park. But it sums up the success of the Cubs’ player development and — most importantly — Assad’s determination and talent.

“I think you always have hopes that guys are gonna be good and that they can execute at a high level and have success, but you never know until they get the opportunity to do it,” Hottovy said. “Cause I’ve seen plenty of guys look that good in bullpens and not been able to do it in games. And that’s the thing that’s most impressed me with Javi in-game, is that he’s the same guy.

“If he’s throwing a bullpen, if he’s playing catch, if he’s facing the Padres, Dodgers, whoever, this is the same guy and just executes and does what he does really well. That’s the best part.”