Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Earlier this week in the SB Nation Reacts survey, I asked you which of six Cubs prospects you considered the most untouchable in a trade at the deadline.
The final result of the survey should not surprise you:
Jaxon Wiggins seems like a pitching prospect who will actually make it to the Cubs rotation, though it might not be this year. After making two early-season starts at Triple-A Iowa, Wiggins missed a lot of this year due to injury. After making a couple of low-level starts in the Arizona Complex League and at South Bend, he returned to Iowa earlier this month and the results have not been good: three starts, 12.91 ERA, 2.739 WHIP, and probably the most discouraging sign: 11 walks among 44 batters faced, a 25 percent walk rate which is pretty bad.
If you were hoping Wiggins would help the Cubs this year, probably best to put those thoughts aside. Perhaps he’ll be ready in 2027.
I mentioned Owen Ayers as a possible trade chip in a deal for Reid Detmers yesterday. I’d still do that.
As for the others, Jefferson Rojas might be a good trade piece, as he’s blocked at multiple infield positions. Kane Kepley has hit well, but has not played above South Bend. Jonathon Long is having a good year at Iowa but, like Rojas, is blocked at his position (first base).
And James Triantos was just called up to the Cubs on Friday.
Here are the results of the national questions asked in the SB Nation Reacts survey.
My only reaction to this: What’s up with the other 15 percent? Justin Verlander is absolutely, positively a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s the best pitcher of his generation, won three Cy Young Awards and his 82.2 bWAR ranks 24th all-time.
Since individual pitcher wins are less important now than at any time in MLB history, even 21 percent thinking there will be another 300-game winner is a large number of voters.
Once Verlander and Max Scherzer retire, and both likely will after this year, the active leader in wins will be Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale, tied at 156. Cole is 35 and Sale is 37 and both might have trouble getting to 200 wins, much less 300.
The current leader in career wins for a pitcher under age 30 is Logan Webb. He has 75.
300 wins is the relic of a bygone era. The new benchmark is probably 200.
This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.
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