The Chicago Cubs don't need Jaxon Wiggins to become a major-league starter overnight.

They need another weapon for their struggling bullpen.

With September arriving and the Cubs likely headed for the wild card, Chicago should give its top pitching prospect a chance to prove he can help in October. Wiggins has struggled at Triple-A this season, but his electric stuff and recent success in a relief role make him worth the gamble.

MLB's September roster rules allow teams to add two players, with no more than one additional pitcher. That makes the decision particularly important for contenders like the Cubs, who have limited opportunities to strengthen their roster for the stretch run.

Wiggins should be one of those additions.

Cubs prospect Jaxon Wiggins has shown improvement this season

There is no reason to pretend Wiggins has dominated in 2026.

He has a 6.69 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 36.1 innings between three levels, while his Iowa numbers include an 8.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts against 27 walks in 27 innings. He has dealt with right elbow trouble and missed significant time before returning to the mound in June, but those numbers would normally make a September call-up difficult to justify.

However, Wiggins isn't the same pitcher he was earlier in the season.

The Cubs have begun using him exclusively in short relief appearances, and the results have been encouraging. He has thrown four hitless, scoreless innings in that role, striking out seven while producing a 41.7% strikeout rate and 35% whiff rate.

That is a dramatically different pitcher from the one who struggled while trying to work multiple innings as a starter.

Wiggins is 6-foot-6 and has a fastball that sits in the 96-98 mph range. His extension gives hitters less time to react, while his fastball, cutter, changeup and curveball all generate significant swing-and-miss potential.

That is exactly the type of arsenal a team can take a chance on in a low-leverage bullpen role.

The Cubs don't need to ask Wiggins to face the heart of an opposing lineup in the eighth inning. They can put him in situations where his job is simple: attack hitters for one inning and let the stuff play.

And if he struggles with his command, Chicago can pull the plug quickly.

That's a worthwhile gamble for a team trying to win in October.

Chicago entered the final month of the regular season at 77-60, firmly in the postseason picture, but the Cubs' pitching staff has dealt with injuries and inconsistency throughout the season.

The Cubs also just watched a bullpen meltdown contribute to a loss against Cincinnati, illustrating how valuable additional reliable arms can be during the stretch run.

Wiggins doesn't have to become that reliable arm immediately.

He has to show enough over the final month to convince the Cubs that his stuff can translate against major-league hitters.

And there is little downside to finding out.

Wiggins is already one of the organization's top pitching prospects. He posted a 2.19 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 78 minor-league innings in 2025, advanced through three levels, and established himself as one of the Cubs' most intriguing young arms.

The 2026 season has not gone according to plan, but one difficult season shouldn't erase that upside.