Cole Mathis is finally getting the chance to play a healthy season in professional baseball, and he’s using that opportunity to absolutely demolish baseballs.
The Cubs’ No. 14 prospect hit two home runs and a double in a 4-for-5 day with four RBIs, aiding a 5-4 walk-off win for Single-A Myrtle Beach over Kannapolis on Wednesday.
COMPLETE CUBS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Mathis wasted no time hitting his first dinger of the day, getting in front of a full-count pitch and depositing it over the bleachers in left field. The first baseman’s second bomb came in his next trip to the plate in the third inning. He blasted a hanging breaking ball in a 1-2 count out to deep left-center field.
Though he didn’t officially account for the winning run, Mathis finished his day by singling to right field in the 10th inning, moving designated runner Alexey Lumpuy from second to third base. That set up the eventual walk-off single from Jose Escobar.
Mathis also was stranded after a one-out double in the seventh and grounded out in the fifth.
Wednesday wasn’t the official breakout for Mathis in 2026, though, as it simply continued a red-hot start to the season. The four-hit day brought his slash line to .325/.481/.850 with six(!) home runs in just 11 games.
Mathis opened his campaign with long balls in his first two games, then went on a very brief four-game hitless streak that quickly got turned around with at least one extra-base hit in each of his next five.
A 2024 second-round selection, Mathis excelled as a two-way player at the College of Charleston. Elbow issues, including Tommy John surgery after his signing, have led him to transitioning to a full-time hitter. But an excellent showing in the Arizona Fall League last year has only carried into the beginning of the 2026 season, where Mathis’ easy pop is starting to catch some attention.