Age is but a number for Cubs' Cabada, the second-youngest player in the Fall League
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- One of the most gifted young hitters in the Cubs system, Juan Cabada was ready for the challenges that awaited him when he made his U.S. debut this year.
Signed for $1.5 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2025, he batted .283/.387/.434 in his first 14 games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League this May. What he wasn't prepared for was an abdominal strain that sidelined him for three months.
"I've never been out for 2-3 months in my career, so it was very hard," Cabada said via translator Chanel Zapata. "One of the things that I did during that time was to work on my mentality. This is a game where you can be up and over the moon one day, down in the trenches the next. So I worked on my mentality and also worked on my body."
Cabada returned to play three weeks at Single-A at the end of the season. Now the Cubs' No. 12 prospect is getting another opportunity to make up for some lost at-bats with the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. At 18, he's the second-youngest player on the developmental circuit, behind only Royals outfielder Angeibel Gomez (KC No. 2/MLB No. 76).
With his quick left-handed stroke and ability to barrel balls, Cabada is better equipped than most 18-year-olds to handle Fall League pitching. He also hits the ball harder than most players his age and could produce 20+ homers per year as he adds strength and experience. His biggest need is to do a better job of picking which pitches to attack.
Cabada's offensive profile is reminiscent of a young Pedro Ramírez, though the latter signed for just $75,000 out of Venezuela in 2021. Ramírez advanced quickly through the Cubs system before growing into power this season and claiming a big league role at age 22. Also like Ramírez, Cabada possesses solid speed and has spent most of his pro career playing second and third base.
"Juan has a really advanced bat for his age," Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler said earlier this year. "His maturity is impressive too. He comes from a military family, which manifests how he goes about his business. He's probably a second baseman or third baseman, but we're going to play him everywhere."
Cubs hitters in the Fall League
Harrison Feinberg, OF: Feinberg set Northeastern's career home run record with 47 and ranked fifth in NCAA Division I with 42 steals this spring before signing for $25,000 as a nondrafted free agent in July. He didn't make his pro debut before joining Mesa.
Kade Snell, OF: One of the top college senior prospects in the 2025 Draft because of his combination of offensive production, data and makeup, Snell went in the fifth round out of Alabama. He slashed .269/.350/.426 with nine homers and 19 steals in 81 games at High-A, missing seven weeks midseason with a broken wrist.
Miguel Useche, C/1B/OF: While most of the Cubs' AFL prospects are playing for the Solar Sox, Useche is adding some catching depth to the Salt River Rafters. Signed out of the independent Frontier League in 2025, he made double-digit starts behind the plate as well as at first base and both outfield corners this year while batting .281/.372/.468 with 13 homers in 89 games between High-A and Double-A.
Cubs pitchers in the Fall League
Dominick Reid, RHP (No. 28): Reid sports one of the best changeups in the league, a low-80s offering with huge fade, and sets it up with a fringy low-90s fastball. A 2025 third-rounder from Abilene Christian, he compiled a 3.86 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings (mostly at Single-A) this year during his pro debut, which was cut short by a shoulder impingement.
Jhon Cabral, RHP: Signed after the Marlins released him in June, Cabral got rocked for a 15.07 ERA while walking 23 and striking out 24 in 14 1/3 innings between Rookie ball and Single-A. He has an upper-90s fastball that touches 101 mph and has big carry, but he can't land it or his mid-80s curveball for strikes.
Anhuar Garcia, RHP: Garcia pounds the zone with three pitches: an upper-80s cutter/slider, a low-90s fastball and a mid-80s curveball. Signed for $10,000 out of Mexico in 2024, he posted a 3.53 ERA with a 51/9 K/BB ratio in 43 1/3 innings between Rookie ball and two Class A levels.
Yoendris Gonzalez, RHP: Shoulder and soft-tissue maladies cost Gonzalez most of the past two seasons, but he did bounce back with a 2.64 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings between Rookie ball and two Class A stops. A Cuban who defected to Haiti before turning pro for $64,000 in 2022, he misses a lot of bats with a tight mid-80s slider that he employs more often than his 92-96 mph fastball.
Luis Rujano, RHP: A Venezuelan drafted in the 13th round out of a Florida high school in 2022, Rujano recorded a 5.71 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings between Rookie ball, High-A and Double-A. His best offering is a low-80s curveball, while his fastball ranges from 93-98 mph but lacks life.