2 Cubs Prospects Could Be Called Up In September
· Yahoo Sports
The Chicago Cubs have a few reinforcements on the way for the stretch run.
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Justin Steele just completed his first rehab assignment outing with the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday. Shelby Miller continues to build up toward a mid-September return, and Edward Cabrera appeared in a game for the Iowa Cubs on Friday.
But the Cubs could also get some major contributions from some of their top prospects in the final month of the season and into the postseason. There are two prospects in particular who could make an impact for this team at some point this month.
Owen AyersCubs catching prospect Owen Ayers has been one of the biggest risers in the organization this year. After hitting .238 with six home runs and 47 RBI across 65 games at Single-A last season, Ayers has finally broken out in his third Minor League season.
The 25-year-old switch-hitter is currently slashing .296/.412/.548 with 25 home runs, 26 doubles, 79 RBI, and 13 stolen bases across 115 games at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A this season. While Ayers has certainly had some struggles at the Triple-A level since being promoted in July, he’s still batting .257 with three home runs, 17 RBI, and seven stolen bases in his first 39 games with the Iowa Cubs.
The Cubs could call up Ayers sometime in September. He could learn a lot from Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, and the front office might want to see what they potentially have in him for next year.
Ayers is no doubt the Cubs’ catcher of the future. He has shown some encouraging things at Triple-A in his limited at-bats there, with a .322 xwOBA, 88.5 mph average exit velocity, and an 84.5% zone contact rate. The 25-year-old could get the call very soon.
Jaxon WigginsIt seemed like a long shot a few weeks ago that Cubs pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins could be promoted to the big league roster for the stretch run. He missed more than two months due to an elbow injury and was struggling as a starter once he returned from that injury in early July.
Wiggins allowed 19 earned runs across 14 innings pitched (12.21 ERA) in his first five starts back at Triple-A. Those struggles on the mound then forced the Cubs to move their No. 6 prospect to the bullpen for the time being.
That move has certainly helped Wiggins, as the hard-throwing right-hander has thrown eight scoreless innings since moving to the bullpen on August 11. He has allowed four hits, issued five walks, and struck out 10 batters across those strong eight innings in relief over the past month.
His dominance as a reliever could result in the Cubs calling him up as a bullpen option in the final weeks of the season. The North Siders could certainly use an arm like him in the bullpen right now. If he continues to pitch like he does, they will have no option but to promote him.