Cubs 1st Round Pitchers Primed for Promotions
You will normally see teams promote prospects throughout the minors after April and the Chicago Cubs definitely have several prospects that are primed to move up in the team’s minor league system, including their last two first-round picks.
Jordan Wicks: 23-years-old, 21st overall pick in 2021 MLB Draft
Two starts ago, Jordan Wicks couldn’t get out of the third inning with the Tennessee Smokies and maybe some fans started to roll their eyes at the lefty. Wicks was taken in the first round of the 2021 draft, selected 21st overall, one pick ahead of shortstop Colson Montgomery, who went to the White Sox, and is now a consensus top-100 prospect.
Well, Wicks now has 12 starts under his belt at Double-A since last summer and he’s given up one hit in his last two starts combined. The left-handed starter threw five, no-hit innings against the Birmingham Barons on Wednesday, striking out seven and walking one. That followed his five-inning, one-hit start last week against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Wicks has struck out 24 batters in 16.1 innings so far at Double-A this year and has a 2.76 ERA through his first four starts of the season.
Wednesday’s start was flat out dominating, as Wicks generated 20 whiffs on 77 pitches.
Wicks won’t be in Double-A for much longer.
Cade Horton: 21-years-old, 7th overall pick in 2022 MLB Draft
Hey, remember when it seemed like the Cubs didn’t have a lot of good pitching prospects? Glad that’s over.
Cade Horton was picked seventh overall in the first round of the 2022 draft and the Cubs certainly raised many eyebrows across the industry. The right-handed pitcher out of Oklahoma was coming back from Tommy John surgery and he wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire in 2022. However, so far Horton is making the Cubs look good because he is destroying Single-A.
Horton didn’t pitch after the Cubs drafted him last year and the righty didn’t have a lot of experience in college, so his first minor league assignment has been with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to begin the 2023 season. It’s good to get him in a groove, but it is also obvious that Horton is ready to move up in the system.
Horton made his third start with Myrtle Beach on Wednesday and he once again did not allow a run. He now has 10.1 scoreless innings to begin his pro career. He’s only allowed three hits and three walks, while striking out 14.
Cade Horton First 3 Starts
2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 0 BB
4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 3 BB
4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB
Horton should be up at advanced A-Ball soon with the South Bend Cubs because there is simply no challenge for him in low A-Ball right now. Hitters are only batting .086 against Horton.
I’m not sure what other moves the Cubs would have to do because they have a bunch of quality pitching prospects in their system right now, but right-handed pitcher Brandon Birdsell should probably get promoted soon, too.
Birdsell was taken in the fifth round by the Cubs last year out of Texas Tech and the 23-year-old has allowed a total of two hits in 10.2 innings at South Bend.
Both of the hits and the lone run Birdsell has allowed came in his second start this season. In the other two, the right-hander has pitched a combined 7 no-hit innings, with 10 strikeouts and 3 walks.