This offseason, the Chicago Cubs may add one or more starting pitchers. Marcus Stroman is a free agent, therefore the Cubs need to fill his spot.
Jordan Wicks, a young player who made his debut in 2023, is one of the possible newcomers to the rotation and should be able to start right away. His debut during a postseason push speaks volumes about the organization’s faith in him.
Jordan Bastian of MLB.com identified Wicks as a guy who could have a breakout season.
“An otherwise excellent MLB debut was marred by Wicks’ rough showing in Milwaukee at the end of his career (six runs in 1 2/3 innings). With a 3.00 ERA in his first six appearances, he was 4-1 and shown composure while using a six-pitch arsenal that included a superb changeup.”
According to MLB.com, 24 year old Wicks is ranked as Chicago’s No. 10 prospect. He throws a changeup, sinker, curveball, cutter, and slider in addition to a fastball that is in the low to mid 90s.
Wicks uses his changeup more than any other weapon in his repertoire, throwing it 29.7% of the time, according to Statcast.
During the previous season, hitters hit for a batting average of.368 against his fastball due to its frequent occurrences. His sinker kept batters to a.174 batting average; if this is still a problem, he can work off it as a fastball in the future. His trust in that pitch is demonstrated by the batting average of.171 he gave up against it.
This is important to note because, despite his stellar debut, Wicks, like all young arms, still has work to do on the pitch. As the Cubs try to build on a respectable 2024 season, he should continue to have opportunities with them.
