A much-needed rotation reinforcement in Jordan Wicks might be on the way to the big leagues.
Per a report from Des Moines Register’s Tommy Birch, Jordan Wicks, a consensus top ten Cubs, is no longer with Iowa and is headed to Pittsburgh to make a start either Saturday or Sunday for the big league club. Since being selected 21st overall, he has pitched to a 3.73 ERA spanning three levels and 193 innings. He has also punched out 223 batters and accumulated a solid 1.22 WHIP. As of late, he has thrown especially well giving up just four runs over his last 14.2 innings in August.
Jordan Wicks was never the type of guy you draft based on potential and hope he pans out 5 years down the line. He had been one of the most projectable arms in the minors since being drafted out of Kansas State. Never seen as an ace type, but rather a guy with a strong floor who would be a solid mid-to-back-end rotation guy with already tons of polish you wouldn’t get out of a high school arm. As his numbers show, he has been trending toward exactly that over his two full years of minor league ball.
So, what should we expect to see from Jordan Wicks? He sports a five-pitch mix of fastball, sinker, curve, slider, and changeup. That changeup was said by many to be the best in his draft class and has continued to dazzle as he’s developed. He might not be an overpowering strikeout guy, but all his pitches will play at the big league level. His command, pitch mix, and sequencing will allow him to be successful at the big-league level.
His alleged call-up also means that Drew Smyly, as Hoyer already stated, will once again be sent back to the ‘pen after yet another disastrous outing in Detroit. That was a much-needed move. The Cubs couldn’t continue to trot him out to start in the middle of a playoff race. As bad as he’s been as a starter recently, he looked good out of the ‘pen during his three scoreless innings between starting appearances. He could be the left-handed reliever this bullpen has lacked all season due to Brandon Hughes’ ineffectiveness and injuries. Hopefully, Wicks can help settle the unrest that has been plaguing the back end of the Cubs rotation as of late.
Also check The Chicago Cubs and their Road to October Baseball and Report: Cubs to Call-Up Veteran Shane Greene.
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