This widely unknown Cubs pitching prospect turned a lot of heads in 2024

When you hear 'Chicago Cubs pitching prospects' - the first name that likely comes to mind is Cade Horton, the highly-touted right-hander the team took in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The former Oklahoma standout rocketed up rankings boards before taking a step back this season after injuries cut his campaign short.

But there is a lot of quality making its way through the system behind Horton - and MLB.com's selection of right-hander Jaxon Wiggins as the Cubs' prospect whose stock improved the most in 2024 is proof of that.

Selected using the comp pick received when Willson Contreras left in free agency this prior winter, Wiggins missed his entire junior season at Arkansas after undergoing Tommy John surgery - but that didn't dissuade Jed Hoyer and the Cubs from selecting him with an eye on the future. The stuff was clear: a fastball that pushes triple digits and a mix off complimentary pitches that caught the eye of some in the organization.

That's exactly what he was, too: Wiggins was a 'stuff' pick - because the numbers certainly weren't there during his two years with the Razorbacks. The right-hander made 19 starts and 15 relief appearances, working to an unsightly 6.17 ERA, 1.596 WHIP and 5.8 BB/9 (although he did strike out more than 11 batters per nine, as well).

So, heading into 2024, his first professional season and first year removed from Tommy John, no one knew what to expect from Wiggins. He got off to a rocky start in Rookie ball (7 IP, 12 BB, 4 wild pitches, 10.29 ERA) before settling in a bit at Class-A Myrtle Beach (21 IP, 5 BB, 2.14 ERA). He closed out the year with an up-and-down stretch at High-A South Bend (31.2 IP, 19 BB, 38 K, 4.55 ERA), but the big-picture numbers are palatable for a guy returning from a major arm surgery.

Here's what MLB.com had to say about Wiggins' 2024 body of work:

He ended 2024 as the best healthy pitching prospect in the Cubs system, showing a mid-90s fastball that reaches 99 mph and flashing a mid-80s slider with two-plane depth. He posted a 4.37 ERA, .194 opponent average and 71 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings while climbing from Rookie ball to High-A South Bend.

2025 will go a long way toward telling the Cubs what they have or don't have with Wiggins. In theory, he'll reach Double-A next season, where he'll face stiffer competition and have no choice but to rein in his long-standing control issues. If he can't do that, it's hard to project him as a legitimate long-term asset in the coming years.