Chicago Cubs top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins opened his season Sunday with a start against the Columbus Clippers. Wiggins is the second-ranked prospect in the Cubs system. He is also the 56th-ranked prospect in all of baseball at the start of the 2026 season. Wiggins started game three of the season for the Iowa Cubs in Triple-A.
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Wiggins Performance
Jaxon Wiggins pitched four innings today. He threw 64 pitches, 34 of which were strikes. While he strugled with his control a bit. Wiggins pitches looked sharp. Wiggins gave up two hits, two walks, one earned run, and struck out six. The lone run he gave up came in the third inning after a walk to Dayan Frias. Juan Brito hit a two-out double to score Frias. This accounted for the lone run given up by Wiggins on the day.
Jaxon Wiggins fastball was steady between 95-97 mph throughout the start. You’d like to see him go deeper into the game. However, I expect Iowa will be limiting his work all season. He is only two years removed from his Tommy John surgery, so being cautious is the safe play. A 53% strike percentage isn’t ideal. With his fastball hovering above 95-97, an above-average slider chase rate is more important. Today, they didn’t chase as often as he’d liked. Keep an eye on his change-up over the course of the summer. If he gets that pitch working, he will feel confident with it. He will become even more dangerous on the mound.
Overall, Wiggins looked good today. You can clearly see why he’s the Cubs’ top pitching prospect. Fans are excited about the future with two young studs, Cade Horton and Jaxon Wiggins, in the organization.
Prospects at the Plate
Pedro Ramirez
Ramirez hit a three-run home run in the second inning, increasing the Iowa lead to 4-0. Ramirez also walked twice today and stole a base for Iowa.
Best of the Rest
Bj Murray Jr hit a solo shot in the third inning for Iowa and now has a .400 average early this season. James Triantos was one for four on the day with an RBI and now has a .250 average for Iowa. Kevin Alcantara was held hitless on the day, but did draw a walk. Jonathon Long went hitless in five attempts today for Iowa.
Summary
This Iowa Cubs team will be a fun one to watch. They have plenty of talent and players to watch. Today, they blew a late lead to lose 7-5 to the Columbus Clippers. They start their season with a record of 1-2. Iowa heads to Louisville to start their next series with the Louisville Bats, Cincinnati Reds Triple-A affiliate. Jaxon Wiggins was good today. He should continue to get even better as the year goes on. This progress may lead to a potential call-up to pitch for the Cubs this season.
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