Jaxon Wiggins is already making the case for a Cubs promotion after Triple-A season debut

The Chicago Cubs are a long way from needing rotation help. Though Matthew Boyd's first outing of the year completely fell off the rails in the fourth inning and Shota Imanaga's final line against the Nationals looked ugly, it's far too early to make any declarations about either pitcher. Their current group is made up of arms that have all earned a level of trust on the North Side, along with the new addition, Edward Cabrera, who's coming off a dominant season debut.

Even if they're in good shape now and they'll have Justin Steele returning later this year, though, all eyes will still be on the progress of Jaxon Wiggins. Expectations are that MLB's #56 overall prospect will be part of Craig Counsell's staff at some point this summer, assuming he continues to show out in the minors. So far, with one start under his belt, he's setting himself up well for that midseason promotion. On Sunday, he pitched through four innings against Columbus, only giving up two hits and one run, while racking up six strikeouts.

Wiggins showed off exactly what makes him so exciting in his first start, sitting at 96 to 98 mph on his fastball throughout the entire 62-pitch outing and getting 12 whiffs in total. Those whiffs were also split across his fastball, change-up, and slider, showing the efficacy of all the weapons in his arsenal. The velocity and shape of his four-seamer contribute to its 70-grade score, but his change-up also has a future value of 60. In other words, the potential is sky high, especially considering this will be his first full year in Triple-A.

Jaxon Wiggins could be the hidden X-Factor for the Cubs during the 2026 season

The thing to watch with the young right-hander will be his command. He wasn't perfect on that front while playing against the Clippers, but two walks in 16 batters is too short a sample to say anything. Last year, Wiggins managed to cut down his walk rate by over two percent, which helped in his ascension to Triple-A. However, he still gave a free pass to 11.5% of all batters he faced across all levels last year. For context, among all qualified starters in the majors last year, only one had a higher rate — Cleveland's Gavin Williams at 11.8%.

Granted, Williams looked quite good despite those struggles, but it's still an area where the Cubs would undoubtedly like to see improvements from Wiggins in 2026, even if he pitched to a 2.19 ERA across all levels last year. Again, though, he'll have time to make adjustments. If an injury does arise, Colin Rea and Ben Brown await as options to enter the rotation from the bullpen, while Javier Assad remains in Triple-A. Eventually, Jordan Wicks will be back in game action, too.

Building up innings against the highest level of minor league competition is the best thing for Wiggins right now. The Cubs will want him challenged, to see him adjust and realize his full potential, even if what he's done so far is tantalizing. Sunday was a great first impression that sets him on the path to the majors, but more must be done before that door will be opened for him. After all, his high for innings thrown in a single season is only 78.

Eventually, though, he'll get his call. His upside is so high that he'll have a role to play on a competitive Cubs team that could use the extra firepower down the stretch. It's also just as important for the future that he gets time in against major leaguers this year, before Boyd, Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon all become free agents. Everyone will want to know whether he's ready to take the next step and become a fixture on the staff. A rotation topped by Wiggins, Cabrera, and Cade Horton has a chance to be the most electrifying Chicago has seen in some time.