Jaxon Wiggins named Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 3 hours ago

The last time the Cubs had two bona fide flame-throwing home-grown Aces atop their pitching rotation came in 2003 when Kerry Wood and Mark Prior were mowing hitters down. They were the first of what is now the norm in Major League Baseball, as both men could sit at 96 MPH plus with their heater and often made hitters look silly at the plate.

In the 22 years since that season, the Cubs have struggled to develop homegrown pitching, which has hindered this organization in the past and was a primary reason they began to prioritize this area following the 2017 NLCS loss. Emphasis or not, their luck in developing pitchers isn't great, and unless the Cubs can start to turn over some home-grown pitching talent, it's going to be hard for them to compete with some of the better teams in this league long-term.

However, if 2025 is a sign of what is to come, not only does the Cubs have one home-grown bona fide Ace in their rotation in Cade Horton, but there could be another one on the verge of MLB stardom as help is on the way. After watching their top pitching prospect, Horton, burst onto the MLB scene in May and turn himself into the NL Rookie of the Year favorite, it's very clear that he appears to be the ace of the future for this staff.

That brings us to the Cubs' No.2 pitching prospect, Jaxon Wiggins, who not only may have even more upside than Horton, but just put together an impressive Minor League Season as he took home the Cubs Minor League pitcher of the year award for 2025. Unlike Jonathon Long from the Player of the Year side, where the competition was steep, Wiggins was the runaway nominee for this award, as no one in the system came close to doing what he did this season, setting himself up for his potential MLB debut in 2026.

Taken in the second round of the 2023 MLB draft, the former University of Arkansas star didn't make his debut until 2023 as he spent the duration of 2023 and part of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Given the injury he suffered in college, Wiggins was seen as a reach in round two and one of those high-risk, high-reward picks, but it's clear he was a risk worth taking.

Wiggins had his struggles during his College career, posting a 9-4 record across 34 games and 19 starts, with an ERA above 6.00 in those games. He managed to strike out 110 over 94 innings, but with 57 walks, the command was a major concern, which is where the risk factor came into play.

You continued to see some of those command issues in 2024 as Wiggins made his season debut with the ACL Cubs and managed to reach High-A South Bend by season's end. In 18 games (all starts), Wiggins posted a 3-6 record with a 4.37 ERA while throwing just over 57 innings. Once again, the strikeout rate was promising as he put away 71 in those 57 innings, but the 35 walks continued to be a concern as Wiggins had yet to harness his command fully.

Fully healthy for the first time in nearly two years, 2025 was the breakout season Wiggins was hoping for as he began the season with South Bend and made it all the way to AAA Iowa by season's end. That alone is impressive in itself, but what makes it all the more remarkable is that the Cubs were monitoring his innings all season, as he threw only 78 innings across 19 games, 18 of which were starts.

Limited innings or not, Wiggins was downright nasty this season as he finished the season with a 3-4 mark, but an impressive 2.77 ERA across all three levels. He walked 36, which is still slightly high, but the 97 punchouts proved once and for all that he has what it takes to be a front-of-the-line starter as soon as the command gets under control.

You started to see an improvement in his command during the second half of the season, and that is what he will focus on heading into 2026. Known for his big heater that sits in the 98-100 MPH range, Wiggins has the tools to be a front-of-the-rotation arm, but there are some questions as to whether or not he will remain there long-term or land in the bullpen.

With that heater comes a lethal high-80s breaking ball and a 90 MPH change, as he was overpowering hitters all season. While Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, and Jonathon Long are the closest to landing an MLB roster spot long-term, Wiggins may have the highest upside of anyone and is someone who is going to get plenty of MLB roster chatter next season.