Imagine being a top baseball prospect, only to be snubbed from a prestigious rankings list—twice. That’s exactly what happened to Jaxon Wiggins, a Chicago Cubs pitching phenom, in Keith Law’s latest preseason rankings. Earlier this week, Cubs fans were in for a surprise when Law’s top 100 prospects list at The Athletic crowned Kevin Alcantara as the team’s highest-ranked prospect, despite many publications dropping him from their top-100 entirely. Alcantara led the Cubs’ trio on the list, which also included Moises Ballesteros and Jefferson Rojas—but notably excluded Wiggins, a right-handed pitcher the Cubs are banking on to bolster their rotation this season. But here’s where it gets controversial: Law didn’t just leave Wiggins off the top-100; he also omitted him from his ‘just missed’ list, effectively sidelining one of the Cubs’ most promising arms.
Wiggins’ absence is particularly puzzling given his dominant 2026 campaign in the Cubs’ system. After a stellar 2025 season split between Double-A Knoxville, High-A South Bend, and a brief stint in Triple-A, Wiggins posted a combined 2.77 ERA across 78 innings—a career-high workload. His Triple-A debut was especially eye-opening, with a jaw-dropping 13 K/9 rate. So, why did Law overlook him? Is it because of his limited innings, or is there something more to the story?
To put this in perspective, let’s look at Cade Horton, another Cubs prospect who defied expectations. Heading into 2026, Horton had only surpassed 75 innings in a season once—yet he exploded onto the big-league scene last summer, finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Horton’s success proves that a controlled workload doesn’t equate to limited impact. And this is the part most people miss: Wiggins has the tools to dominate at the highest level, and 2026 could be his breakout year, both in the minors and, potentially, at Wrigley Field.
While it’s unlikely Wiggins will replicate Horton’s instant success, his ability to get outs is undeniable. The real question is: Did Law underestimate him, or is there a valid reason for his exclusion? What do you think—is Wiggins a future star in the making, or is Law’s snub justified? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!
