Cubs Minor League Report Card: Myrtle Beach Starters |
At long last, we have reached the end of our Minor League report card series as we venture off to the beach in Myrtle Beach. Unlike our previous installments, where the grade selections were very easy, Myrtle Beach was a lot more challenging for many reasons.
The big reason was that the main contributors to the rotation moved to South Bend by season's end, and a plethora of arms did their best to fill those spots. You also have to consider pitchers who were in the rotation in the past but then moved back to the bullpen, as this was a strange year for this club in general. Either way, three pitchers stood out the most, and all of them were surprising in a good way. These guys have the chance to not only enter the top-30 conversation next season but can also really alter how competitive this team can be in the short and long term.
The lone selection on this list to remain with the Pelicans all season was right-hander Kenten Egbert. Signed as a free agent in the middle of Summer, Egbert arrived in Myrtle Beach in July and put on quite a show. Across 23 games this season, 16 of which were starts, Egbert logged 97 innings and posted an impressive 7-2 record. His 3.04 ERA was one of the best in the Cubs system, and his 32bb/104K ratio shows how dominant he was as the season went on. It will be interesting to see how the Cubs view him next season and where they will place him. Season Grade A-: There wasn't much that went right from the pitching side of things this season, but Egbert was the rare exception. This was one of those midseason free-agent pickups that often goes overlooked, and the Cubs are happy a deal was reached to get him in their organization. Not only did he emerge as the Pelicans ace, but he emerged as one of the Cubs most consistent pitchers in the organization and will look to build on that next season.
The Cubs have a lot of connections within their organization, and Wiggins is one of those connections. Taken in the second round of the 2023 MLB draft, Wiggins was a teammate of Connor Noland and Christian Franklin, among others, but he didn't make his MLB debut until this season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Although the year didn't always go as planned, Wiggins showed a lot in his first 18 starts and reached high-A, where he continued to dominate hitters with his near triple-digit heater. From a record side of things, Wiggins only went 3-6, while his 4.37 ERA was also not where he wanted it to be. A big reason for that was pitching in less than 60 innings, as two rough starts really affected his ERA this season. With 36 walks and 71 strikeouts, the command did labor at times, but given his velocity and how easily he put hitters away, there is plenty of time for him to harness that command. Once he does, you're looking at a legitimate starting pitcher who has already climbed into a top-25 prospect spot. Season Grade B-: Typically, when you look at the numbers Wiggins put up, it is very unlikely that they would earn anything higher than a C for a grade. However, Wiggins was downright impressive this season, and he is the definition of a power arm for an organization that lacks power arms. Apart from Cade Horton and a few other guys, Wiggins may have the highest ceiling in the Cubs system right now, and that is saying something when you look at some of the organizational arms.
The Cubs were forced to make far too many pitching moves this season, and injuries and overall struggles contributed to that. Some of the moves didn't pan out, and some did, with the Zeglin acquisition being the one that sticks out the most. Signed out of the Mexican League in April, Zeglin debuted with the Pelicans before finishing the year in South Bend. Although he may not technically be considered a starter with only four starts across 30 appearances, he did log 66 innings and often pitched more innings than some of the starters in the Cubs system. Although that is not an ideal approach, you can see why the Cubs counted on him so much, as he posted a 7-0 record with a microscopic 0.95 ERA. That included a 2-0 showing with South Bend after he was promoted, posting a 0.33 ERA in nine games. Not only are the overall numbers great, but his command is even better. He walked 16 in 66 innings to go with 90 punchouts. His seven walks to 57 punchouts in Low-A was the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the past 20 years, and he is emerging as a legitimate weapon. Season Grade A+: It is hard to give Zeglin anything less than an A+ at this point. Not only was he a weapon, whether he came out of the pen or as a starter, but he was also a multi-inning weapon that barely gave up anything. His ability to limit contact and put hitters away is a lost art in today's game, and he was one of the best pitchers in all of the minors. Hopefully, 2025 has a more defined role for him as he has the potential to be something special.Kenten Egbert
Jaxon Wiggins
Nico Zeglin
