Cubs prospect just made MLB’s Top 100 — and could be gone by the deadline

Cubs Top 100 breakthrough comes with one major catch
LSU v Arkansas
LSU v Arkansas | Wesley Hitt/GettyImages

Chicago Cubs prospect Jaxon Wiggns has been center of mind over the last month as he was seemingly shut down by the organization after his June 20 start for the Knoxville Smokies. Wiggins was originally named to the MLB All-Star Futures games, but was pulled once it was revealed that the Cubs are being cautious with his workload this season. The 2025 season is Wiggins' first full season at the professional level, so that speaks to why the Cubs are watching the amount of innings he pitches this season.

Despite the caution from the Cubs, Wiggins' prospect profile is rising. After recent graduations of top prospects across Major League Baseball, Wiggins was added to MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list. Wiggins just cracked the list, as he is MLB Pipeline's No. 100 prospect in baseball.

Despite the Cubs' farm system, as a whole, losing some value with the trade of Cam Smith last offseason and the graduations of Cade Horton, the team still has five Top 100 prospects. Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, Jefferson Rojas, and Kevin Alcantara are the others.

Cubs prospect earns Top 100 nod, but it might not save him from trade talks

The Cubs haven't provided an exact date for when Wiggins will return to the mound for the Smokies, but there remains a chance that it's not with the Cubs' organization. With the Cubs in the market for a frontline starting pitcher and, potentially, a starting third baseman, they could be aggressive with the prospects they dangle in trade talks.

It feels like a foregone conclusion that one of Caissie or Alcantara will be moved at the deadline, but it feels like a certainty that teams will have Wiggins' name circled. As it stands, with Horton in the big league rotation and Brandon Birdsell still working his way back from a shoulder injury, Wiggins has become the best pitching prospect in the Cubs' system.

Holding onto Wiggins is undoubtedly the preference for the Cubs, but if they truly are moving their chips to the middle of the table, moving their 2023 second-round pick could be within the realm of possibility.

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