Cubs land righty pitcher AJ Puckett |
When the Cubs hired Tyler Zombro to manage their pitching infrastructure, they expected him to oversee all operations and establish a pitching development pipeline unlike any this organization had ever seen. Little did they know that Zombro would play an essential role in finding talent, as he seems to have a hidden pipeline.
One of the initial workers of the Thread Athletics Performance Center, Zombro, has always had a soft spot for the ones at Thread. The Cubs hold annual pro day workouts to give struggling pitchers a chance to land a job. The Cubs have not only done their homework but have gone the extra mile to try to find talent. With two Thread signings in free agency, the Cubs made it three as they landed right-handed pitcher AJ Puckett on a minor league deal. A former second-round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2016, Puckett was seen as a middle-of-the-rotation starter but could never get over the hump in the minors. Puckett showed plenty of potential throughout his minor league career, but he could never live up to that potential once he reached AA. Puckett posted a 24-26 overall record for his career with a 4.30 ERA. Once it became clear that he would have difficulty reaching the majors, Puckett tried his luck on the international level as so many struggling pitchers before he attempted to. He signed with the Mexican League in 2024 and went on to post an 8-3 record with a 2.17 ERA across 49 games. He appeared in 58 innings in those 49 games, walking 20 and striking out 55, as Puckett has continued to show the ability to get hitters out. Once seen as a high-end starter, Puckett has fallen into a relief mode at this point in his career, but that may not be a bad thing if that is his best path to success. While his professional numbers may not look great, his performance in college landed him in the second round of the draft as he went 18-10 with a 2.95 ERA across 52 career college games. Thirty of those games came as starts, so the potential has always been there for the right-hander. A big reason the Cubs elected to bring in Puckett was not only the stuff itself, which we will discuss in a minute, but also because he was coming off a string of 40 dominant innings in the Dominican Republic. Those innings were so impressive that he flew in from the Dominican Republic for his Thread Workout, hopped back on a plane, and dominated a few days later. Always seen as a guy capable of hitting 95 with his heater, Puckett was averaging close to 97 MPH during his workout, and that alone got plenty of the scout's attention. With that four-seam fastball comes a 93 MPH sinker, 91 MPH cutter, and an ever-improving sweeper that averages close to 87 MPH. That is an ideal pitch mix to work with, and given that all four of his pitches are considered above average to elite, he has the stuff to cut it in this league. Knowing how much better the competition is at the MLB level than the Mexican League, there are concerns about whether or not his success last season will translate. Those concerns are valid, but he pitched strictly in relief and looked very good. This could be the classic case of a late-blooming pitcher who couldn't cut it as a starter and needed to move to the pen. Even if the Mexican League doesn't offer the same talent, the workout impressed the Cubs enough to make him their third Thread Signing of the offseason. Having Zombro be as active as he has gives the Cubs some inside input. While his age is a bit of an issue, knowing how long he has pitched, you can also view this as one of those reclamation project minor League signings. The Cubs have had plenty of success with those signings, and they hope this move will continue that trend. A dynamic four-pitch mix will help, but now it is time to show that he is ready to take the next step and reach AAA and beyond. AJ Puckett (@Puckett_AJ15) continued to impress.
-Plus sweeper at 85-87 mph 🔥
-94-96 mph sinker (4.2" VB, 18.5" HB)
-95-97 mph fourseam
-92 mph cutter
One of the most polished arms of the day. pic.twitter.com/LQgPSfAnkY
