Jaxon Wiggins showing glimpses of why he could force his way into Cubs' 2026 plans

After a rocky Cactus League debut, Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins rebounded with a much sharper outing against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, showing why many in the game believe he could be a factor on Craig Counsell's pitching staff as soon as this summer.

His elite stuff was on full display this time out. He punched out two and did not walk a batter in two frames of relief work. Wiggins ran his four-seamer up to just under 100 MPH and paired it with a 90+ MPH change-up to keep hitters on their toes. His heater is a 70-grade pitch for a reason and a wipeout slider gives him multiple 'plus' pitches.

As is often the case with young pitchers, especially ones with overpowering stuff, it all comes down to control for Wiggins. His walk rate improved from 2024 to 2025, but if he can continue to make strides in that department and continue to pile up strikeouts like he has in his first two professional seasons, he and Cade Horton could be the team's long-term 1-2 punch atop the rotation.

Cubs aren't looking at Jaxon Wiggins to be the team's ace in 2026

This year, though, the Cubs aren't counting on Wiggins to put the big-league team on his back. Jed Hoyer has assembled an impressive amount of rotation depth this winter, so the Cubs should be set in that department, especially once Justin Steele makes his long-anticipated return from the IL. That depth, paired with the fact hasn't even sniffed the 100-inning mark in either his college or pro career (his single-season high came in 2025 at 78 frames) - and it's easy to see they're not going to, all of the sudden, force the issue.

It's totally feasible he gets a summer-time call-up and plays a role on the staff. And, yes, in a best-case scenario, he has a Cade Horton-like impact on the Cubs' staff - but nobody is expecting that, nor are Hoyer and the front office counting on that being the case.

As Hall of Famer Pat Hughes says: 'Fasten those seatbelts'. In the not-too-distant future, the Chicago Cubs may have a dominant pair of aces atop the rotation in Horton and Wiggins, bringing back memories of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood from 20+ years ago.