Hartshorn, Ayers headline Cubs' updated Top 30 Prospects list
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WASHINGTON -- Both Josiah Hartshorn and Owen Ayers made strong impressions in their limited exposure to the Cubs’ big league team during Spring Training games. When the Minor League season arrived, the pair of prospects developed into two of the system’s breakout stars.
In Pipeline’s midseason reranking of each team’s Top 30 list, Hartshorn and Ayers checked in at first and second, respectively, for the Cubs. They both are in Pipeline’s Top 100 list: No. 39 for Hartshorn and No. 93 for Ayers.
The 19-year-old Hartshorn was a sixth-round pick by the Cubs in the 2025 Draft, but Chicago invested a $2 million signing bonus to get him in its farm system. In his pro debut this year, the switch-hitting outfielder had a .285/.405/.521 slash line with 18 homers, 20 doubles, five triples, 92 RBIs, 73 runs, 69 walks and 10 steals through 98 games between Single-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend.
“It’s exciting,” Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said of Hartshorn earlier this season. “For him to go out and do what he’s done, could you ever expect that? And to be one of the top prospects in baseball a year out, and hitting well in High-A? That’s not something -- no matter how well you like a player -- that you could ever predict or expect.”
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Ayers, 25, was a ninth-round pick by the Cubs in the ‘24 Draft and has been one of Minor League Baseball’s standout development stories this summer. Through 95 games, the catcher was batting .313/.424/.590 with 23 homers, 23 doubles, 72 RBIs, 62 walks and 10 stolen bases across High-A, Double-A Knoxville and Triple-A Iowa.
“Owen’s having an incredible year,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said recently. “He’s a switch-hitter. His catching is kind of steadily improving. I think our development staff and Owen have done a great job this year.”
Here’s a look at the Cubs’ top prospects:
1. Josiah Hartshorn, OF (No. 39)
2. Owen Ayers, C (No. 93)
3. Ethan Conrad, OF
4. Cade Townsend, RHP
5. Kane Kepley, OF
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:
Jump: Brooks Caple, RHP (Preseason: unranked | Midseason: No. 9) -- The Cubs selected Caple, 23, in the ninth round of the 2024 Draft and he has blossomed into one of the system’s more promising arms. The righty has a fastball that sits around 94 mph, but can touch 98, and he features a cutter, curve, slider and changeup. He has climbed to Double-A Knoxville this season.
Fall: Brandon Birdsell, RHP (Preseason: No. 17 | Midseason: unranked) -- Birdsell had a breakout showing in ‘24 and looked to be on the cusp of the Majors, but injuries stalled his progress in ‘25. The righty underwent a second Tommy John surgery late that season and has spent this year rehabbing.
New to the list
Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:
No. 4: Cade Townsend, RHP (Pick No. 23 in the ‘26 Draft)
No. 7: Caden Sorrell, OF (Pick No. 62 in the ‘26 Draft)
No. 8: Myles Bailey, 1B (Pick No. 75 in the ‘26 Draft)
No. 15: Carson Jasa, RHP (Pick No. 98 in the ‘26 Draft)
No. 17: Isaac Morton, RHP (Pick No. 188 in the ‘26 Draft)
No. 25: Chase Meyer, RHP (Pick No. 277 in the ‘26 Draft)
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Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 -- Kane Kepley
Power: 60 -- Myles Bailey
Run: 60 -- Kane Kepley (Fernando Cruz, Jaims Martinez, Caden Sorrell, Juan Tomas)
Arm: 70 -- Owen Ayers
Defense: 65 -- Ariel Armas
Fastball: 60 -- Jaxon Wiggins (Brooks Caple)
Curveball: 60 -- Cade Townsend (Carson Jasa, Grant Kipp, Chase Meyer, Kaleb Wing)
Slider: 65 -- Isaac Morton
Changeup: 60 -- Dominick Reid
Control: 55 -- Brooks Caple