Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Jordan Wicks

InsidetheCubs.com will review each of the Chicago Cubs’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.

No. 10: LHP Jordan Wicks, Iowa Cubs (Triple-A), Tennessee Smokies (Double-A)

Statistics for 2023: (20 games, all starts): 7-0, 3.55 ERA, 91.1 innings pitched, 75 hits allowed, 41 runs (36 earned), 12 home runs allowed, 32 walks, 99 strikeouts, .223 opponent batting average, 1.17 WHIP.

Season Transactions: Started season with Tennessee. Promoted to Iowa on June 29. Called up to the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 26.

Season Summary: Wicks continued his rapid ascent through the system with quality work at both Tennessee and Iowa. The Cubs were finally ready to call him up when they needed a starter in late August and he thrived in the Cubs’ rotation, going 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in seven starts. He wasn’t able to help the Cubs get into the playoffs, but he showed more than enough talent to ensure the Cubs would keep him in their future plans.

Path Through the Organization: Wicks was the Cubs’ first-round pick in 2021 out of Kansas State, where he set the program’s single-season (118) and career record (23) for strikeouts in just three seasons. The Cubs handed him $3.132 million in bonus money and he never looked back. He got to Tennessee by the end of 2022 and the Cubs fast tracked him for Iowa after he never let up with the Smokies to start 2023. He’s benefited from a quality pitch mix and a tweak to his slider.

What’s next: Wicks will clearly be in the mix for a starting rotation spot in 2024. The question will be if he gets in the rotation can he continue to progress? He’s not going to overpower hitters, but if he continues to refine his location and turn his average slider into something above-average, he could be a Cubs starter for years to come.

2023 Chicago Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps:

No. 30: Christian Franklin | No. 29: Brody McCullough | No. 28: Kohl Franklin | No. 27: Pablo Aliendo | No. 26: Porter Hodge | No. 25: Luke Little | No. 24: Jaxon Wiggins | No. 23: Caleb Kilian | No. 22: Josh Rivera | No. 21: Luis Vazquez | No. 20: Cristian Hernandez | No. 19: Brennen Davis | No. 18: B.J. Murray Jr. | No. 17: Haydn McGeary | No. 16: Derniche Valdez | No. 15: Drew Gray | No. 14: Alexander Canario | No. 13: Matt Mervis | No. 12: Michael Arias | No. 11: Jefferson Rojas |