MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs are a veteran-heavy team this year, so there are not many spots available for the up-and-comers like Jaxon Wiggins to crack the major league roster, at least not out of spring training. The ups and downs of the regular season will provide more opportunities, and given how quickly Wiggins moved through the organization since being drafted, his is a name to keep an eye on.
Drafted out of Arkansas in the second round in 2023, Wiggins has taken just two professional seasons to move from the Arizona Complex League to Triple-A Iowa. Against the Angels on Thursday, Wiggins got his first taste of pitching in a major league spring game. Wiggins’ final stat line indicates that there are things for him to work on, but Wiggins showcased one of the main reasons the Cubs are high on him and have moved him through their organization so fast.
Of the 30 pitches Wiggins threw on Thursday, 21 of them were fastballs. Wiggins got as high as 98.6 miles per hour with his fourseam fastball and never went lower than 95.8.
Wiggins gave up five hits in an inning and a third, but at this stage of spring training, he is still working on getting a feel for some of his secondary pitches. Wiggins threw just one curveball against the Angels but said that he otherwise felt good about his pitch mix and came away from the outing with a clear sense of what to work on next.
“It was all good,” Wiggins said. “I felt really comfortable with the fastball, slider, [and] changeup. Just left a little bit of the changeups and sliders in the zone. Just gotta get that pitch down.”
Spring training stat lines, especially the ones in February as games are getting started, can be deceptive. Wiggins gave up a lot of hits that turned into runs, but he also struck out three and didn’t walk any batters. Just getting on the mound and getting feedback from live hitters — a group that included Mike Trout — left Wiggins feeling good about where he is at this point in the spring.
The stuff is there, enough so that he is in the conversation for a spot this spring. The key for Wiggins to take the next step forward is likely in his pitch sequencing. He got a little unlucky against the Angels with where some of the batted balls found grass, but on the whole, Wiggins looked impressive on Thursday.
“He has to continue to develop his confidence in each of his pitches,” manager Craig Counsell said. “As the hitters get better, you have to have more offerings for the hitters. And that’s kind of what [Wiggins] is going to go through.
“Obviously, individually, his offerings are all very good, just kind of now getting them to work together.”
Wiggins is a starting pitcher, but as things on the Cubs’ major league roster currently stand, there isn’t going to be room for him in that group. The Cubs bullpen has some spots to fill after they lost a few arms to free agency over the winter, but moving Wiggins into the bullpen might not be the right course of action for his development.
The most likely scenario is that Wiggins begins the year with Triple-A, but it’s probable that he gets a chance at his major league debut at some point during the 2026 season. Whether that’s in the rotation or as a reliever, Wiggins said he is content to let the chips fall where they may.
“Whenever that opportunity comes, I’ll take advantage of it, no matter if I’m starting or coming out of the ‘pen.” Wiggins said.
