When the Chicago Cubs drafted Jaxon Wiggins with the 68th overall pick in 2023, they weren’t getting a ready-made ace. They were betting on a rehabbing flamethrower.
A 6-foot-6, right-handed pitcher from Roland, OK, Wiggins had undergone Tommy John surgery three months before the Cubs took him with a compensatory pick in the second round. They were willing to take a patient approach with a pitcher who had high upside.
But it appears now that patience may no longer be required.
Jaxon Wiggins Makes Quick Recovery from Tommy John Surgery
Originally not expected to make his professional debut until the middle of the 2024 season, at the earliest, Wiggins started 18 games and pitched 59.2 innings for three different teams in the Cubs farm system last year. Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler credited Wiggins’ exceptional athleticism for the quick recovery, calling Wiggins “truly a top percentile physical freak.”
“And I think when you post like he did last year, that just builds his confidence,” Kanzler said. “I would imagine that he is fully ready mentally to accept that he’s back.”
Wiggins still entered 2025 somewhat unheralded, but once the games began, he quickly went from rehab assignment to organizational centerpiece. In six appearances for High-A South Bend, Wiggins posted a 1.71 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 26.1 innings, earning a nod from MLB.com as one of the top April performers in the Cubs system.
An early promotion to Double-A Knoxville has led to more of the same, as Wiggins has a 2.77 ERA through 13 innings with 18 strikeouts and six walks. MLB.com again highlighted his efforts, naming Wiggins as Chicago’s “most pleasant prospect,” as well as the club’s “hottest pitching prospect” in May, writing:
“The Cubs have a hitter-heavy farm system and need some pitchers to make strides this year, and Wiggins is doing exactly that. He had a 6.17 ERA in his first two college seasons at Arkansas and missed his third following Tommy John surgery before the Cubs made him a supplemental second-round pick in 2023. After easing back into action last year, he’s missing bats with three pitches (mid-90s fastball, mid-80s slider and changeup) while recording a 1.78 ERA, .151 average-against and 35 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.”
Jaxon Wiggins Earns Top Prospect Praise in First Two Months of 2025
And to think that the Cubs selection of Wiggins actually raised a few eyebrows on Draft Day.
Wiggins had the look of an early-round pick — an SEC pedigree, big frame, premium velocity — but not the track record. During his two seasons at the University of Arkansas, he had struggled with command, and just as scouts hoped he’d turn the corner, his elbow gave out.
The Cubs took him anyway.
“He does have electric stuff, and his ceiling is extremely high given his physical profile so we’re going to be patient,” Kantrovitz had said.
That patience has paid off. Now fully healthy and settled into a starter’s rhythm, Wiggins is torching the minors.
Cubs Newcomer Thriving: ‘Top Percentile Physical Freak’