Article: Cubs Top Winter Prospects Rankings: #7 Ben Brown

[Transmogrified Tiger]

5 hours ago, CubinNY said:

At this point, I don't think Wiggins can even be considered a starter. Half the time he was used out of the pen in college. He's a lottery ticket. 

Wiggins followed a pretty common progression of relieving as a freshman and then starting as a sophomore, and IIRC was thought to be in line to be Arkansas' Friday starter this season before he got hurt.  Whether he stays a starter depends on performance, but there's no question he's gonna be used as a SP.

[CubinNY]

13 hours ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

Wiggins followed a pretty common progression of relieving as a freshman and then starting as a sophomore, and IIRC was thought to be in line to be Arkansas' Friday starter this season before he got hurt.  Whether he stays a starter depends on performance, but there's no question he's gonna be used as a SP.

Give me strike throwers. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by CubinNY

[Jason Ross]

I think we have to accept we don't have a lot of data on Wiggins, but there's something there the Cubs like. Wiggins, as @Transmogrified Tigerpointed out, was following typical SEC pathways. Wiggins, as well, had pre-season first round pick hype. He's certainly a risky pick in that there's little data on him. But the same scout who recommended Horton, was in on Wiggins, and many people (and I'm sure, many posters here, though I wasn't involved in this site then) probably felt the Cubs took a pretty big leap on him, too. Horton so far has been better than I expected, and I'm someone who was a fan of his draft day, if that's saying something. Nichols was also the scout who recommended Jordan Wicks, so he's got history with Wiggins-upside types in Horton, but also safer picks like Wicks. That's a good track record.

I'll see if I can find it again, but there was some good news coming out of Arkansas on Wiggins from the fall-season before he went down, but I'm not sure I'll 100% be able to track that one down, so please don't hold that against me (though feel free to take that all with a grain of salt because I can't source it).

The Cubs have earned my benefit of the doubt on Wiggins. I like the swing, personally. In a draft light on upside college arms, the Cubs grabbed one with big upside as they bet on their ability to smooth things out. Maybe it works, it probably won't (that's the MLB draft, y'all!), but I respect the confidence and the swing on Wiggins. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by 1908_Cubs

[craig]

Agree, Kantro and Nichols have earned the benefit of the doubt.  They scouted Wiggins as worth a substantial superslot; gave him top-60 bonus; and managed their other draft picks to enable that level of superslot bonus.  They did that knowing both his surgery, and knowing his previous wildness.  For sure between injury and wildness most pitchers who get $1.4 bonus don't end up being successes.  But Kantro's a smart guy, and I don't see any reason to assume his cost-risk decision there wasn't a perfectly appropriate decision.  

Post-draft, Kantro was pretty effusive about Wiggins, mentioning TORP potential, athleticism, and stuff.  As 1908 notes, there were accounts that Wiggins had looked great in fall ball, and that Nichols had seen progress with his control.  Time will tell.  But would be super fun if they got lucky with a high-ceiling guy.  

[CubinNY]

They certainly have earned it with Horton and Wicks.