MESA, Ariz. — Jaxon Wiggins, a top Chicago Cubs pitching prospect, impressed observers during his first live batting practice session of spring training on Friday. At the Cubs’ training complex, the 24-year-old right-handed pitcher tested his four-pitch arsenal against major league-caliber hitters Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong, revealing encouraging signs of his potential impact.
Wiggins Faces Tough Competition During Live Batting Practice
During the session held at the Cubs complex, Wiggins confronted first baseman Michael Busch and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, both of whom are left-handed hitters with substantial experience. Their at-bats challenged Wiggins’ pitches, causing a few awkward swings as he showcased his evolving mix. Despite falling behind early in one matchup with Busch, Wiggins fought back to force a full count, ultimately striking him out on an offspeed pitch low and outside the zone. This session served as an early indicator of how his pitches might fare against big league opponents.
Physical and Technical Improvements Made in the Offseason
Since being selected in the second round of the 2023 draft, Wiggins has spent much of the offseason training at the Cubs’ Arizona complex. He focused on increasing his physical strength, putting on approximately 10 pounds of lean muscle on his 6-foot-6 frame. Alongside his physical development, Wiggins refined his pitching repertoire, emphasizing his changeup as a key weapon. Additionally, he adjusted his slider grip last season, switching to a spiked grip that enhanced its movement by giving it a more bullet-like trajectory instead of the previous sweeping action.
Challenges with Control and Positive Signs from Recent Performance
While Wiggins’ stuff shows promise, control remains an area requiring improvement. In his 2024 minor league season, he recorded a walk rate above four per nine innings between Low A and High A levels, almost identical to the previous season’s 4.2 walks per nine innings across three minor-league tiers. Despite this, his 2025 campaign presented progress; he posted a stellar 1.93 ERA in 10 starts at Double-A Knoxville, striking out 52 batters over 42 innings. This strong performance earned him a brief promotion to Triple-A Iowa in September. However, a shoulder injury sidelined him for a month last summer and prevented him from participating in the prestigious MLB Futures Game during All-Star weekend.
“Obviously it would have been fun to pitch in the Futures Game, I would have loved that a lot,”
Wiggins said.
“But it’s just one of those things that I had to take care of and make sure I’m healthy going forward and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Building Consistency Through Repetition and Experience
Wiggins missed the entire 2023 season recovering from Tommy John surgery but managed to make three starts in Triple-A Iowa late in 2025, pitching 9 2/3 innings. Moving forward, more innings will be essential to improve his command and strike-throwing consistency. Cubs manager Craig Counsell expressed confidence in Wiggins’ professional approach and potential for growth through additional repetitions.
“That’s, I think, what will happen with Jaxon,”
Counsell explained.
“If you watch him, he’s throwing very professional appearances in his bullpens and his live (BP), very professional. He absolutely has the ability to do it. But the reps take it because you’re stacking on better pitch shapes, execution, better hitters as you move up. So you’re just stacking all these things up and one of them is better execution.”
“That comes from consistency in your delivery, consistency in your mental process, confidence, maturity, it keeps growing. And I think for Jaxon it’s continuing to grow.”
Cubs’ Approach to Player Development and Opportunities
The Chicago Cubs are known for providing their prospects with opportunities to reach the major leagues when their performance warrants it. Wiggins has received a similar message to that delivered to last spring’s National League Rookie of the Year runner-up, Cade Horton: he is not expected to begin the season on the major league roster, but his progress and performance will determine when he is ready.
“Guys have freedom when they think that way, like, ‘I’m just going to go do my work, I’m going to keep doing what I do, and then my time comes, we’ll know,’”
pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said.
“For the year he had and where he’s been trending and to be on the radar, he’s definitely in that group of guys we’re going to keep our eye on. But he’s also a guy we don’t feel like we need to rush because we are going to have a lot of those others (among our depth). But I’d love to see him force his way into that conversation.”
Wiggins’ Perspective on His Development and Timeline
Despite his early successes, Wiggins remains focused on steady progress rather than rushing advancement. Entering the season with 36 career starts in the minors, he understands that reaching the majors requires more than just talent—continued hard work and preparation are critical.
“I do have some goals, but nothing like trying to make it (to the majors) this year,”
Wiggins remarked.
“You can’t put a timeline on that. It’s based on your performance, and there’s a lot that goes into your performance and how you prep for that.”
With a combination of his refined pitching arsenal, improved physical stature, and mental focus, Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins is generating optimism for what he might bring to the organization in the near future. As spring training continues, the Cubs will closely monitor his development, hoping he can translate his potential into sustained success at higher levels.
