Jason Wylie

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #19 prospect in 2004
  Wylie is another victim of Chicago's tremendous pitching depth. His scintillating 2002 pro debut showed that he was a steal as a 12th-rounder, and the Cubs realized that he had the stuff to do more than close games. But they didn't have a rotation opening in Class A last year, so he stayed in relief and continued to excel. He led the Midwest League in appearances and for the second time in as many years, he made a major postseason contribution to a championship club. Lansing ran the table with seven straight playoff wins, with Wylie saving four of them. Hitters just don't make good contact against Wylie, who has permitted a .178 opponent average and one homer as a pro. He gets great sink and bore on a low- to mid-90s fastball, and hitters can't think about sitting on it because he can beat them with his curveball and slider. He also throws a changeup. Wylie needs more consistency with his command, but he's on the verge of moving quickly. He'll probably start 2004 in high Class A with a chance for a midseason promotion.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #24 prospect in 2003
  Wylie is the most pleasant surprise from a potentially outstanding 2002 Cubs draft. His size and projectability were obvious, but he also went 13-11, 7.14 in three years as a starter at Utah, so he lasted until the 12th round. He threw 90-91 during the spring, with scouts predicting he one day could reach 95 mph. Wylie did just that as a a reliever after signing, topping out at 94-95. He can make his fastball sink or bore in on righthanders. He also throws a slider, curveball and changeup and showed a better feel for pitching than the Cubs might have expected. Wylie finished two of Boise's three wins in a sweep of the Northwest League playoffs. Chicago would like to move him back into the rotation this year, but that might be difficult because its Class A teams are overloaded with starting candidates.