Black MiLB Players #5: OF Jordan Nwogu, Chicago Cubs

Background + Path to Professional Baseball

Jordan Nwogu is a Nigerian-Canadian outfielder in the Chicago Cubs farm system. He was drafted in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Michigan after a three-year collegiate career with a .976 OPS.

He was a standout two-sport athlete in high school, excelling at baseball and football but only receiving athletic scholarships as a football player. He played middle linebacker and defensive end. The outfielder decided to attend Michigan on an academic scholarship and successfully walked onto the baseball team during his freshman year of college.

Nwogu’s professional career started during the 2021 MiLB season, putting up a .248/.344/.390 slash line in 373 plate appearances with Chicago’s Low-A affiliate, good for a 103 wRC+. With 16 stolen bases and 10 doubles, he showed an intriguing combination of speed and power. He took huge strides forward in productivity for the 2022 season, going .265/.357/.498 with 15 home runs and 19 steals. He also reduced his K% by five points and improved his batting average by 17 points compared to the prior season.

Player Profile

Jordan Nwogu stands 6’3’’, and weighs around 230 pounds. He is a top-tier athlete, being described as one of the strongest players in all of the minor leagues while also being an above-average runner. He bats and throws right-handed.

Hitting

Nwogu sets up with a very closed stance towards the front of the right-handed batter’s box. His swing is somewhat awkward due to the lack of fluidity, mostly with the implementation of his lower body and how handsy it is. He rotates very well in the box and his upper body strength gives him plus raw power that shows in games. His swing has a natural loft, based on the fact that he puts flyballs in play 46% of the time. He works with a toe tap that varies, which shows that he uses it as a timing mechanism. He even ceases to use it sometimes.

The outfielder possesses a sound approach, posting a walk rate of over 11% in his first season and close to 10% in 2022. He strikes out at a percentage in the mid-to-high 20s. Nwogu takes advantage of his strength by being as short to the ball as possible while still being able to accrue extra-base hits. He has an approach oriented around driving the ball to all fields.

Defense

Nwogu is a slightly above-average defender based on his speed and ability to detract the ball but has a below-average arm based on the reports so far.

Baserunning

Nwogu is an effective base runner, being able to accumulate steals without getting caught frequently and having the athleticism to take extra bases when the ball is put in play while he’s on base.