SOUTH BEND, IN – South Bend Cubs first baseman Josiah Hartshorn has been named a recipient of the 2026 Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award, recognizing his outstanding defensive performance during the 2026 season. Hartshorn is one of nine players across Minor League Baseball to receive the prestigious honor and was selected as the top defensive first baseman.
Hartshorn recorded 440 total chances in 58 games at first base for Single-A Myrtle Beach, High-A South Bend, and Double-A Knoxville, posting 407 putouts and 28 assists while committing just five errors for a .989 fielding percentage. He also helped turn 36 double plays.
During his time with the South Bend Cubs, Hartshorn posted an impressive .992 fielding percentage in 48 games at first base. In 404 innings, he recorded 375 total chances, including 351 putouts and 21 assists, while committing just three errors. He also had a hand in 27 double plays.
In addition to his work at first base, Hartshorn showcased his defensive versatility in the outfield. He appeared in 58 games between center field and right field across all three levels without committing an error, recording 103 total chances and seven assists. With South Bend, Hartshorn played 29 games in the outfield, handling all 50 chances without an error.
Hartshorn's defensive excellence complemented an outstanding offensive campaign. Across 125 games at three levels, the switch-hitter batted .284 with 26 doubles, five triples, 23 home runs, 112 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. He finished the season with a .407 on-base percentage, .518 slugging percentage, and .925 OPS.
The 19-year-old enjoyed his greatest offensive success with South Bend, batting .297 with 17 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, and 85 RBI in 83 games. He also scored 64 runs, stole 12 bases, and posted a .405 on-base percentage, .560 slugging percentage, and .965 OPS.
Hartshorn was selected by Chicago in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California. After beginning the 2026 season with Myrtle Beach, he was promoted to South Bend before finishing the year with Double-A Knoxville.
The Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Awards recognize the top defensive players at each position across Minor League Baseball, honoring their outstanding fielding performances throughout the regular season.
About the South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs are the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Over the past 39 years, the team has won five Midwest League titles, most recently in 2022, and captured nine division titles. In 2023, the organization was selected as the Single-A Bob Freitas Award recipient by Baseball America. Four Winds Field, home of the South Bend Cubs, was voted Best High-A Ballpark in the country by Ballpark Digest in 2022 and 2023, having also won the award as a Low-A ballpark in 2017. In 2019, the South Bend Cubs hosted the final Midwest League All-Star Game. In 2015, the team was named Ballpark Digest’s Team of the Year and received the John H. Johnson President's Award, the highest honor in minor league baseball. The team is owned and operated by Swing-Batter-Swing, LLC, whose principal shareholder is Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, Illinois.