Prospect Spotlight - Jaxon Wiggins

Fresh off of Tommy John surgery, Wiggins is looking like one of the best pitchers in the Cubs rotation.

Despite suffering a Tommy John injury in the fall of 2022 and not pitching the entire 2023 season, Jaxon Wiggins was selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2023 draft. Wiggins was a bit of a mystery heading into the draft, he had an excellent freshman year at Arkansas but faltered when moving into the rotation during his sophomore year. He hasn’t missed much since coming back from the surgery and is looking like one of the best arms in the Cubs system. Let’s take a look at what makes Wiggins a player to watch in the coming years.

Wiggins has the physical makeup of an NBA player, standing 6’6” 225. Long and lean, he has a classic pitching prospect frame that still could put on additional muscle and power. He’s a fairly athletic mover on the mound, with a simple delivery. He has a minimal windup, a medium high leg kick, and throws from a high ¾ arm slot that presents a steeper vertical approach angle. Wiggins has a history of struggling to throw strikes, and while he shows a lot of athleticism on the mound, it hasn’t translated to him being able to place the ball where he wants it.

His delivery is simple and theoretically easy to repeat, but Wiggins has some inconsistencies in his delivery which has led to command woes. Fringe average command is likely the upper ceiling for him given the track record and present skillset, but he’s just a few tweaks away from being to outperform that projection.

Photo Credit: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (MiLB)

Something that is really apparent when watching Wiggins pitch is just how easy the ball comes out of the hand. He is able to generate effortless velocity and shows an advanced feel to spin the baseball, and grades out as having four plus pitches. Leading off with the fastball, it sits in the mid 90’s and touching 100 on occasion.