Cubs Prospect Profile: Jordan Wicks |
We are officially entering the top 10 rankings in the Cubs system, which happens to be one of the league's deepest farm systems. This is the area where you not only find the top 100 guys, but the guys that many feel will lead this team to greater heights in the next few years.
Some have yet to taste the bigs, and some have gotten that taste, with Jordan Wicks being one of those guys. Although ranked No. 10 in the system right now, some argue that he should be ranked higher or not even on this list, as he spent nearly two months in the majors last season. Taken in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft, Wicks was the next in line of what was a strong influx of minor league pitching that Jed Hoyer needed to address. The difference between Wicks and some of the others is that he is not only a lefty but also a college-level arm with plenty of success, meaning he had a chance to develop much quicker than most. After hardly being recruited during his time as a Prep star in Arkansas, Wicks elected to enroll at Kansas State, and the rest is history. The 6-3 220-pound lefty not only blossomed to become one of the best, if not the best, pitcher in the entire 2021 class, but he was the best pitcher in Kansas State history, which shows how well he did in Manhatten. Wicks set single-season (118) and career (230) records for strikeouts, along with several other career records. His production landed him the 21st overall selection in the summer of 2021, and the Cubs didn't hesitate to give him a 3.1 million dollar contract to get him going. Not expected to pitch much, if at all, in 2021, Wicks skipped Rookie ball completely and landed with South Bend, where he made four starts and posted a 5.18 ERA on their Midwest League Championship team. The results may not have been good, but the experience that he took away from that season is something you can't coach, and Wicks was ready to return to action in 2022. In 24 starts between High-A South Bend and AA Tennessee, Wicks improved in each start and managed to post a 3.80 ERA despite a 4-6 record. With 28BB/121K, his command was immaculate, and with that many strikeouts in just 94 innings, you could see why the Cubs had so much love for him in college. Although Wicks showed massive improvement in 2022, the 2023 season not only put him on the map, but once again showed why he is arguably the top pitcher or at worst a top two pitcher in the Cubs system. After starting the year with Tennessee, Wicks jumped to Iowa and combined to make 20 starts. Despite throwing just 91 innings, Wicks was as good as advertised again, lowering his ERA to 3.55 and posting a 7-0 combined record. His walk rate was slightly up at 32, with his Ks slightly down at 99, but he continued to dominate hitters and show excellent command, which left the Cubs no choice but to call him up in late August. From the moment he arrived in Chicago, Wicks put everyone on notice as he struck out nine hitters, including five in a row during his first start, and just went from there. He would make seven starts for the Cubs and threw just under 35 innings, going 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA. The ERA is primarily inflated due to one horrible start in Arizona, but together, Wicks went 11-1 with a 3.79 ERA in 2023. He will get plenty of consideration to break the team as the No. 5 starter next spring, which would be huge for this team. Not an overpowering guy at all; Wicks has a fastball that sits around 92 MPH but has been clocked as high as 96 on some occasions. What sets him apart is his change-up that was not only the best in his draft class but is already a plus offering. That alone is why he has drawn Cole Hamels comparisons, which is an excellent pitcher to be compared to. While Wicks is primarily a two-pitch guy, he does have a curve and an occasional sinker that he can use, but he does need to mix those in more consistently to get the best results. The Cubs noticed something with his curve during the 2022 season and had him learn to throw a slider, which proved to be another off-speed weapon in the AAA and MLB ranks late in the season. While Wicks doesn't overpower hitters, he compensates by repeating his low-effort delivery so easily that he can locate his pitches where he wants. That is something Jon Lester did a ton of during his time in Chicago and something Justin Steele is also doing, as the Cubs have had success with those kinds of arms. He's creative and competitive on the mound, and his enhanced slider will help him miss more bats against more advanced competition. Wicks has a high floor as a potential mid-rotation starter and could be a front-line starter if he continues to develop his craft. Either way, Wicks will play a significant role on this team in 2024 should he open the season as the No. 5 starter or go back to AAA for a bit before returning later in the season.
