Recently promoted Cubs prospect has suddenly emerged as a surprise pitching option

Throughout the organization, everyone knows the Chicago Cubs' biggest problem has been pitching. On the big-league side, a torrent of injuries has wracked the rotation and bullpen with one impact loss after another, from Tommy John surgery for Cade Horton to multiple IL stints for Daniel Palencia. The minor-league side, meanwhile, has not only suffered from absences, like a prolonged elbow injury for top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins, but also a lack of impact arms.

Years of prioritizing college hitters in the draft, combined with a shortage of wins in international free agency and few breakouts, have left the team with a very hitter-heavy farm system.

Yet, as VP of Scouting Dan Kantrovitz hinted, they took one big step to remedy their pipeline. Of the Cubs' 21 picks in the 2026 draft, 16 were pitchers, including their first-round selection, Ole Miss hurler Cade Townsend. 15 of those were also college arms. With velocity and spin as the priority under Vice President of Pitching Tyler Zombro, the goal was to finally bring in guys with standout tools rather than focus on pitchability above all. Prioritizing college players also suggests a desire to see results faster.

It'll be years before we'll know for certain if this strategy and this class, in particular, will bear fruit. For now, though, the Cubs have to continue to make do with what they have at the ready in the organization and what they can feasibly acquire at the deadline. The good news is that there is one pleasant surprise on the farm that may be ready for the show before year's end after a recent call-up to Triple-A — Jace Beck.

Originally drafted out of high school by the Mets in 2019, Beck has had a winding path through the minors, to say the least. Thanks to his draft year, he only had eight innings of work in rookie ball before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020 minor league season. On top of that, injuries have limited his playing time, forcing him to miss the entire 2024 season. As such, his chances to actually develop were a bit sporadic, and it showed last year, when, as a 25-year-old in High-A, he had a 5.80 ERA in a career-high 45 innings.

The Cubs signed him to a minor league deal in free agency this past December as an upside play thanks to his 6-foot-9 stature, 95 mph fastball, and career 37.9% strikeout rate. However, they made one key change by slowly transitioning him into a starting role instead of single-inning relief during the season. Somehow, that bigger workload unlocked something, and, at Double-A Knoxville, he had a 2.87 ERA and 3.21 FIP in 59 2/3 innings with six starts among that sample. That also includes an eye-popping 39.7% strikeout rate. So well has the build-up gone that he was named Southern League Pitcher of the Month in June, posting an excellent 0.47 ERA and going 2-0 in five appearances, including three starts.

Jace Beck has a real chance to become an X-factor for the Cubs

Triple-A Iowa should be a real test for Beck. This year, he had an improved, though not great, walk rate of 11.5% in Double-A, which may rise against more disciplined higher-level hitters. If he can still keep that number manageable and not see a complete drop-off of the strikeout percentage, the Cubs might have a special story on their hands. Having another higher-velocity, strikeout-heavy arm to deploy out of the bullpen would be a godsend in a year where they desperately lack high-leverage pitchers. On top of that, it wouldn't necessarily jeopardize a potential future as a major league starter if the organization sees that as a real possibility.

Right now, he fits into a similar bucket to Wiggins. It might be too aggressive to bet on the performance keeping at this absurd level going forward, but if either guy is on a convincing heater, there's no reason for the Cubs to keep wasting bullets on the farm. With a pitching staff that ranks tenth worst in the majors in ERA this year and a bullpen that has had trouble closing out games of late, they need to push every button possible to give this roster a fighting chance in October. Beck has defied all expectations so far, so I wouldn't rule out a reality where he's pitching in meaningful Cubs games this year.

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