As Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins soaked up the sights and sounds of his first big-league spring training invite, the 24-year-old hurler didn’t have to look far for help.
There, sitting next to Wiggins in the Chicago Cubs clubhouse, was ace Matthew Boyd. Boyd, coming off the best season of his career, became someone Wiggins chatted with, getting ideas and advice from.
“Just game-situation stuff and maybe pitch mix and I should have thrown this there instead in that count,” Wiggins said of their talks. “Just all types of different stuff.”
Wiggins is trying to put all the information he acquired from Boyd to use this season. The 2026 season will be a big one for Wiggins, who is on the verge of making the big leagues as he opens the year in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs.
“I think it helped quite a bit,” Wiggins said. “He’s got some really good knowledge and he’s been in the game for a long time.”
Wiggins is hoping he can make a mark in the game as well. There have been high hopes for him ever since the Cubs selected him with the 68th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Arkansas. He boasts a high-90s fastball, a wicked curveball and a changeup still being fine-tuned.
All of those intangibles have made Wiggins one of the top prospects in all of Minor League Baseball. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the second-best player in the system and 58th overall.
“He’s special,” said Iowa manager Marty Pevey.
Everyone is still figuring out just how special Wiggins can be. Injuries have slowed his career. Wiggins underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and made just 18 starts in 2024. He was shut down for parts of the 2025 season and missed the All-Star Futures Game when his shoulder wasn’t recovering.
When Wiggins eventually returned and ended up pitching strong, compiling a 3-4 mark with a 2.19 ERA in 19 games including 18 starts across three different levels. He finished the 2025 campaign in Triple-A with Iowa but under a strict pitch count.
“It was just making sure I was recovering right and keeping the shoulder healthy so I could go into the next full season as healthy as I could be,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins didn’t waste much time in the off-season. After taking about a month and a half off from throwing, he showed up at the Cubs’ spring training facility in Arizona dedicated to making sure he had an injury-free 2026 season.
The time at the facility was spent doing exercises, pre- and post-throwing work and recovery. Wiggins believes the work helped. He had rave reviews for his shoulder.
“It feels amazing,” Wiggins said. “No issues at all.”
Since he’s healthy, Wiggins can focus all his attention on baseball and moving up the minor-league ladder. It also allowed him to make his first real case to Cubs officials when he earned a non-roster invite to spring training.
The best part of the experience may have been with Boyd, an All-Star for the Cubs last season and this season’s Opening Day starter. Wiggins said one piece of advice from Boyd has stuck with him.
“Stay consistent,” Wiggins said.
That’s what Wiggins wil try to do. Unlike last season, he likely won’t be pitching on such a short leash this time around in Triple-A. Wiggins will likely be eased into the season, especially with cold temperatures early on. He’s slated to make his season debut on March 29 at Principal Park.
Even though Pevey only got to see spurts of what Wiggins could do last season, he’s excited about the makeup of the right-handed pitcher and can’t wait to see what he does in 2026.
“He’s just a different cat,” Pevey said.
Wiggins has drawn comparisons to Cubs pitcher Cade Horton, who had an injury-plagued 2024 season, then began the 2025 season in Iowa before moving up to the big leagues and becoming one of Chicago’s top pitchers.
The road may not be as easy for Wiggins with the Cubs having a plethora of pitching options. But like Horton, he hopes to get to the majors this season.
“As fast as possible,” Wiggins said with a smile.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: ‘He’s special.’ Iowa Cubs pitcher Jaxon Wiggins healthy and ready for 2026
Reporting by Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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