2023 Chicago Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Jaxon Wiggins
InsidetheCubs.com will review each of the Chicago Cubs’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.
No. 24: RHP Jaxon Wiggins, Arizona Complex League Cubs (Rookie)
Statistics for 2023: No statistics.
Season Transactions: The Cubs drafted him out of the University of Arkansas in July. He was assigned to the ACL Cubs on July 31.
Season Summary: Wiggins did not pitch professionally this season.
Path Through the Organization: The Cubs took Wiggins with their second-round compensatory pick in July, even though he missed all of his junior season with the University of Arkansas due to Tommy John surgery. Despite a 6.17 ERA in college, scouts have raved about his overall stuff, per MLB.com, and that’s why the Cubs gave him $1.401 million in over-slot money, even though he won’t be available until late 2024, at the earliest.
What’s next: The Cubs need to get him healthy first. Given when he had surgery, there is a chance they could see him in their minor league system sometime in 2024, most likely with the ACL Cubs as he starts an injury rehab. Before the injury, scouts loved his fastball, per MLB.com, one that could peak at 99 miles per hour. Arkansas saw him as a starter before the injury. Now, the Cubs are hoping that he can reclaim the swing-and-miss stuff that had scouts tracking him. But, the reality is it will be the development of his secondary pitches — a slider, change-up and curveball — that will determine if he can be a starter or a reliever professionally, and how far and fast he progresses once he’s fully healthy.
2023 Chicago Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps:
No. 30: Christian Franklin | No. 29: Brody McCullough | No. 28: Kohl Franklin | No. 27: Pablo Aliendo | No. 26: Porter Hodge | No. 25: Luke Little |
