Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins selected by Chicago Cubs in 2023 MLB Draft

Jaxon Wiggins’ time in Fayetteville, Ark. is over. The Razorbacks’ right-handed pitcher was selected in the second round by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 68 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Wiggins did not take the mound last season for Arkansas after undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to the season. Nonetheless, the Arkansas standout’s previous campaigns were enough to entice MLB teams, and for good reason.

In his sophomore season, Wiggins made 17 appearances, including 15 starts. In his 17 contests, Wiggins recorded a 6.55 ERA while dealing 82 strikeouts. The 6-foot-6 pitcher gave batters nightmares, holding opposing hitters to a mere .253 batting average.

As a freshman, Wiggins still carved out a small role for himself. In 23.0 innings pitched, he tallied a 3-1 record with a 5.09 ERA, striking out 28 batters. Head coach Dave Van Horn clearly had faith in the talented freshman. Wiggins started against No. 19 Nebraska in Game Three of the Fayetteville Super Regional, recording two strikeouts in two innings on the mound.

Perfect Game ranked Wiggins as the No. 129 overall prospect and the No. 43 right-handed pitcher in the class of 2020. Additionally, Wiggins was listed as the No. 3 player from Oklahoma in his class.

More on the 2023 MLB Draft

The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft will begin during All-Star week, with the first two rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. Rounds 3-10 will then begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10, with rounds 11-20 starting at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11.

This year’s MLB Draft is a historic one, as a draft lottery was used to determine the order for the first time. The Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics each had a 16.5% chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, Pittsburgh won the right to have the first selection, with Washington finishing right behind them at No. 2. Oakland, however, fell all the way down to No. 6 overall.

While the MLB Draft is always unpredictable, the consensus is that this year’s top prospects both hail from LSU, who won the 2023 College World Series. Pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews headline this year’s class, which is considered a deep one.

Within the first ten rounds of the draft, each slot is assigned a certain value. Each team has a bonus pool that they are able to spend on these picks, and players will sign at, above or below their assigned slot value.

In rounds 11-20, there is no assigned slot value and MLB teams are free to spend up to $150,000 to sign their picks from the second half of the draft. If they exceed the $150,000 mark, that added amount will be deducted from their bonus pool.

Following the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft, selected players will have until August 1 to sign a contract.