Chicago Cubs 2026 Top 20 Prospects: #9 Josiah Hartshorn

[Jason Ross]

Image courtesy of © Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

We continue our look at the Chicago Cubs' top 20 prospects today, with our ninth-ranked prospect, outfielder Josiah Hartshorn. For a quick refresher, make sure you check out our other articles in the series:

• Prospects #20-16
• Prospects #15-11
• Prospect #10 - James Triantos

#9 - Josiah Hartshorn (Orange Lutheran High School)
Josiah Hartshorn was the Cubs' sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft. The team gave him a pretty massive $2-million bonus, buying him out of a commitment to Texas A&M. Hartshorn had an interesting senior year, as the switch-hitter faced both right and left elbow issues that forced him, in turns, to hit only right- or left-handed. Despite those setbacks, he was ranked within the top 100 draft prospects by MLB.com, and none of the injuries were bad enough to scare the Cubs away from the selection.

What to like:
Hartshorn displays both a good hit and power tool. For someone his age, it's usually one or the other, but with the Cubs' sixth-rounder, it's both. Hitting .364 over his 29 games, the outfielder added five home runs while walking six more times than he struck out. Clearly he made a lot of contact, and the approach is somewhat advanced for his age. While the five home runs may not wow you on their own, it's a good reminder that he dealt with a handful of injuries to his back and his elbow over his time, and spent a decent amount of it banged-up. 

Where the power was truly on display was during the 2024 High School All-Star Home Run Derby, when he finished tied for the win with eventual 19th-round selection Jacob Parker. Don't let his draft round fool you, though, Parker didn't sign a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and decided to go to Mississippi State instead. Parker was ranked the ninth-best incoming freshman in baseball, so his draft round was due to signability issues, not talent. That night in 2024, Hartshorn went toe-to-toe with him, forcing Parker to hit a buzzer-beater to share the title. The Home Run Derby isn't our best data point, but it does highlight the pure power potential. He absolutely thumped some of those pitches, and if this can translate from "derby power" to "game power," the organization could have something very fun on their hands.  

Defensively, there's enough athleticism and arm strength to believe he could become an average or slightly above-average right fielder. He may see some time in center field initially because he moves pretty well for his size, but he's probably destined for the corners. His defense will never be the calling card, but an average right fielder with the type of light-tower power he's shown is a player you can really get excited about.

What to work on: 
Because he's already 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, there might not be a lot of projection in Hartshorn moving forward. While it's not impossible he could grow an inch or two more, as of now, he's kind of maxed out his body. That's not inherently a bad thing—with many kids this age, you're hoping they grow into that body—but it also means that he must maintain it. If he doesn't work hard, what could be a slightly plus defensive right fielder can turn into a first baseman or a DH very quickly. It also means there's less to dream on, but with his current pop, that's easily forgiven. 

Another thing; the bumps and bruises he's suffered shouldn't be entirely ignored. With back and elbow issues on the injury ledger already, it's important that the team do everything to ensure that those do not become chronic, nagging and recurring. It could mean a little extra load management, or a different workout regimen, or teaching Hartshorn simply that it's okay to take a game off through an ailment.  

And while it's less "something to work on" and more "just the truth of the matter," Hartshorn is a prep player; he's very far away. There's a lot of potential here, but the only at-bats he's taken in pro games have come this spring, and it's only been a few at the back end of Cactus League contests. Patience is key. We may find that he struggles against a certain type of pitch more than others, or that mechanically, he needs to change some things (such as his big leg kick he flashes from time to time).

What's next: 
While many prep hitters need time in the Complex to work on adding bulk and size, Hartshorn is mostly filled out and should probably see Myrtle Beach pretty early in the year. Baseball America did note that his left-handed swing is a bit more raw, so the team may want to keep him in Arizona for a little bit of time just to work through refinement, but it's pretty likely he'll see a good chunk of time in Low-A. 

The hope is that over the next few years, with a patient mindset, the Cubs can turn Hartshorn into an exciting, power-hitting corner outfielder from both sides of the plate. The athleticism is there today, and the arm strength should be a plus. If things go well, he could be MLB-ready in three years, putting him on track to make a debut by age 22. But not all things go the way you want to, and it could take time for the Cubs' big investment to pay off. With a history of injury and his youth, it may take longer. 

On the other hand, it does feel notable that he's been in three Cactus League games, including playing a few innings of the team's visit to the Brewers Wednesday. For a teenager who wasn't a top pick to play big-league games the following spring speaks to the organization's faith in his polish. On Wednesday, he hit the only pitch he saw hard in the air, flying out to deep right field on a cutter from Brewers lefty Shane Drohan—who's eight years his senior and on the cusp of the majors.

Regardless, worrying about his MLB timeline right now feels like putting the cart before the horse. A successful 2026 will see Hartshorn spend his time in Myrtle Beach. Luckily for the Cubs' newest addition, the Cubs have moved the fences in at Myrtle Beach this season by 10 feet, which should make hitting in the Low-A affiliate of the team a bit easier. Here's hoping he can take advantage of the new, shorter porches. 

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What do you think of the Cub's big-bonus signing of 2025? Do you think he will stick at RF? Sound off in the comments below and start a discussion! 

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[Bertz]

It feels really notable that he's getting into so many ST games.  I've been looking around and the last guy to get into multiple ST contest before playing a single game in full season ball looks like Ballesteros?  I can find guys who got into a game (Cristian Hernandez, Pedro Ramirez, Ty Southisene), but three and counting seems like a high bar.  And even just getting into a game has some signal to it, neither of Chris Paciolla or Ronny Cruz got gifted one for draft pedigree.

Overall Hartshorn's exciting.  It sounds like the bat is about as polished as can be for a high school kid, with a fun combo of contact/power/patience from both sides of the plate.  I feel like every time I read about his defense and athleticism I end up dropping my expectations for him outside of the batters box, so that's probably not ideal?  But I guess if he wants to be Mark Teixeira or Lance Berkman I'll learn to live with it.

[JBears79]

I think he ends up in LF long term but the bat is exciting. The system needs more power and he has a lot of that. 

[Outshined_One]

I have a vague recollection of the Cubs mucking around with young switch hitting prospects.  Ian Happ was a polished college hitter at the time they drafted him back in the day, but I remembered reading about how the Cubs had a tendency to have HS/international switch hitters commit to one side of the plate for developmental reasons, since the perception was that switch-hitting would require further developmental time and could result in setbacks, especially if the hitter required more work on one side than the other.  Hartshorn's power and bat sound legit from both sides of the plate, so I'm intrigued to see how the Cubs work with him, especially if he makes it through a full season without any major health issues.

Hartshorn's power potential puts him on similar footing to Alfonsin Rosario as the best power prospect this system has seen since Kyle Schwarber, but if his bat comes as advertised, he could be a monster (much like Schwarber!).  I'm a bit hesitant to personally rank him above more established guys like Triantos, but he's also one of three guys in this system who I think have the potential to be Top 25 prospects by season's end (along with Conrad and Rojas).  A lot would have to go his way for that to happen, but the tools are there for it to be a possibility.

[Jason Ross]

1 hour ago, JBears79 said:

I think he ends up in LF long term but the bat is exciting. The system needs more power and he has a lot of that. 

He has a plus arm so going to LF probably isn't on the table. Not to say he can't, but he has the arm to play RF. If you're worried about his athleticism, RF and LF are pretty interchangeable there, with the main difference usually being an arm strength thing. The only thing that would push him to LF would be someone blocking him in RF, if that makes sense.

[Jason Ross]

1 hour ago, Outshined_One said:

I have a vague recollection of the Cubs mucking around with young switch hitting prospects.  Ian Happ was a polished college hitter at the time they drafted him back in the day, but I remembered reading about how the Cubs had a tendency to have HS/international switch hitters commit to one side of the plate for developmental reasons, since the perception was that switch-hitting would require further developmental time and could result in setbacks, especially if the hitter required more work on one side than the other.  Hartshorn's power and bat sound legit from both sides of the plate, so I'm intrigued to see how the Cubs work with him, especially if he makes it through a full season without any major health issues.

Hartshorn's power potential puts him on similar footing to Alfonsin Rosario as the best power prospect this system has seen since Kyle Schwarber, but if his bat comes as advertised, he could be a monster (much like Schwarber!).  I'm a bit hesitant to personally rank him above more established guys like Triantos, but he's also one of three guys in this system who I think have the potential to be Top 25 prospects by season's end (along with Conrad and Rojas).  A lot would have to go his way for that to happen, but the tools are there for it to be a possibility.

I ranked him higher than Triantos when we voted, and I had him higher than 9th on my personal list, but it's mostly upside based even if he hasn't seen the field. I just really like the bat here. You don't find many power-hit combos like this from prep bats, and I'm pretty excited. Triantos isn't my dude, so that's also part of it. But I don't find issue with the idea that you'd have James above him, either. 

[JBears79]

4 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

He has a plus arm so going to LF probably isn't on the table. Not to say he can't, but he has the arm to play RF. If you're worried about his athleticism, RF and LF are pretty interchangeable there, with the main difference usually being an arm strength thing. The only thing that would push him to LF would be someone blocking him in RF, if that makes sense.

Its not necessarily his athleticism, more his defensive capabilities. Definitely can change as development occurs so I'm not writing him off or anything in the defensive realm and he's just a COF either way imo. I'm hoping Conrad is blocking him in RF in the future haha. I think he will be the better fit there long term. 

[Jason Ross]

2 minutes ago, JBears79 said:

Its not necessarily his athleticism, more his defensive capabilities. Definitely can change as development occurs so I'm not writing him off or anything in the defensive realm and he's just a COF either way imo. I'm hoping Conrad is blocking him in RF in the future haha. I think he will be the better fit there long term. 

Oh yeah I was mostly saying: I don't see any reason to think he'll be in LF. LF is for the "guy I'm not sure who has the arm for RF" types, which Conrad isn't. He might end up at 1b or DH, but I think RF is definitely on the table and LF feels like a pretty weird spot for his arm if he's capable of handling right. 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Would love to see him on the same team as Conrad but I have a feeling Conrad is gonna move pretty quick.

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Would love to see him on the same team as Conrad but I have a feeling Conrad is gonna move pretty quick.

Same here. Conrad is someone I keep getting higher and higher on. His batted ball data is very close to Cam Smith's in the ACC. Should be noted, Smith ran his batted ball data all year and Conrad missed most of the year with an injury so we didn't get the same volume of it, but I also like Conrad's swing much more than Smith's. coming out of college. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Conrad in Iowa before May next year. That's not really a prediction; he hasn't taken a single professional PA and we thought Mathis would move fast, too. But it feels like a trajectory that isn't insane, either.

[craig]

Tangent, given reference to Conrad.  Has anything been seen of him in camp?  Kinda interesting that Hartshorn has gotten into 3 games, but to my recall I don't recall seeing Conrad's name in any.  Is he still too injured to play?  Will he be a late-start guy?

Hartshorn is really interesting.  I'm an optimist, but I am feeling a lot of trust in the Cubs scouting and development.  If they prioritized him enough to pay $2M bonus, they obviously saw lots to like, and some of the media guys did also. 

I'm totally good with him at 9, I'd have him higher myself.  I'd definitely have him ahead of no-power utility wannabe's like Triantos and Ramirez.  The prospect of a true hit/contact/power combo guy is super exciting, so I want to keep him and value him until/unless he proves otherwise.  A true-blue middle-of-order power bat who's a true hitter and has good pitch recognition, that kind of guy is invaluable.  Especially if he's young, hungry, and has years of club-control contract. 

I saw him when I was in Mesa last month.  He just looked taller than most of the guys in his group.  He looked fit to me, first glimpse did not suggest overweight in the least.  In NBA and NFL, guys work like crazy to stay fit and fast; in college football and basketball guys often improve their condition lots after freshman year.  I'm optimistic that he'll stay in good shape and be a really fit, well-built hitter who's just fine in the outfield.  

Hitting pro pitching for power is hard, way harder then HR-derby where you can leg-kick all you want.  Will he actually be able to hit pro pitches often enough to hit HR's?  Only time will tell.  Lot of seemingly promising power hitters K like mad once in the minors, so we'll see.  But yeah, hoping that he ends up just a stud hitter.  

Not sure we'll see much of him this year.  Maybe some late-season Myrtle.  But guessing not much.  Next season when he's in full-season all year, guessing that will be more revealing than this.  

Do we have any info on the switch-hitting stuff?  Like, which is scouted as his better, more natural side?  Hitting is so hard; getting a good power hitter with 2nd-round bonus is kinda long odds to start.  Getting basically **two** good power hitters, both lefty and righty, is way more remotely unlikely.  Sure, I'd love that.  But I think the odds that you're going to get a good switch from both sides is kinda remote.  I'm guessing that sooner or later, it will be one or the other.  But I have no idea which one, does anybody think they know or have a guess?  I'll obviously guess lefty, since much larger platoon role that way, so *IF* I'm only going to be good at one, I'd probably prioritize hitting lefty.

Man, would it be sweet if the Cubs really clicked with Harshorn and he emerged as a serious guy.   

 

 

[Jason Ross]

8 minutes ago, craig said:

Tangent, given reference to Conrad.  Has anything been seen of him in camp?  Kinda interesting that Hartshorn has gotten into 3 games, but to my recall I don't recall seeing Conrad's name in any.  Is he still too injured to play?  Will he be a late-start guy?

Hartshorn is really interesting.  I'm an optimist, but I am feeling a lot of trust in the Cubs scouting and development.  If they prioritized him enough to pay $2M bonus, they obviously saw lots to like, and some of the media guys did also. 

I'm totally good with him at 9, I'd have him higher myself.  I'd definitely have him ahead of no-power utility wannabe's like Triantos and Ramirez.  The prospect of a true hit/contact/power combo guy is super exciting, so I want to keep him and value him until/unless he proves otherwise.  A true-blue middle-of-order power bat who's a true hitter and has good pitch recognition, that kind of guy is invaluable.  Especially if he's young, hungry, and has years of club-control contract. 

I saw him when I was in Mesa last month.  He just looked taller than most of the guys in his group.  He looked fit to me, first glimpse did not suggest overweight in the least.  In NBA and NFL, guys work like crazy to stay fit and fast; in college football and basketball guys often improve their condition lots after freshman year.  I'm optimistic that he'll stay in good shape and be a really fit, well-built hitter who's just fine in the outfield.  

Hitting pro pitching for power is hard, way harder then HR-derby where you can leg-kick all you want.  Will he actually be able to hit pro pitches often enough to hit HR's?  Only time will tell.  Lot of seemingly promising power hitters K like mad once in the minors, so we'll see.  But yeah, hoping that he ends up just a stud hitter.  

Not sure we'll see much of him this year.  Maybe some late-season Myrtle.  But guessing not much.  Next season when he's in full-season all year, guessing that will be more revealing than this.  

Do we have any info on the switch-hitting stuff?  Like, which is scouted as his better, more natural side?  Hitting is so hard; getting a good power hitter with 2nd-round bonus is kinda long odds to start.  Getting basically **two** good power hitters, both lefty and righty, is way more remotely unlikely.  Sure, I'd love that.  But I think the odds that you're going to get a good switch from both sides is kinda remote.  I'm guessing that sooner or later, it will be one or the other.  But I have no idea which one, does anybody think they know or have a guess?  I'll obviously guess lefty, since much larger platoon role that way, so *IF* I'm only going to be good at one, I'd probably prioritize hitting lefty.

Man, would it be sweet if the Cubs really clicked with Harshorn and he emerged as a serious guy.   

 

 

Hartshorn was ranked #76 on MLB.com's pre-draft list. It isn't like the team went off the board; he got early 2nd round money and was ranked in an area he could have been realistically picked in the early 2nd round, signed for slot, and no one would have batted an eye. 

With any player you're trusting in development, but Hartshorn is already a strong bat to ball and power hitter for his age, has a man's body at 18/19 and was ranked according to his bonus, so I don't think any added trust needs to be placed, either, if we're being fair to all parties here.

[craig]

Sure.  Any 2nd-round HS pick, you're kinda trusting that scouting is right and the failure-risk associated with HS picks won't be realized.  

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, craig said:

Sure.  Any 2nd-round HS pick, you're kinda trusting that scouting is right and the failure-risk associated with HS picks won't be realized.  

Absolutely. Just wanted to clarify that I think we can always assume with a prep hitter development will be important, but that we probably don't needed any added trust or anything here.

It'd be one thing if the Cubs went off board, picked someone ranked by most pubs in the late 150-200 range and gave him early second round money. Then I'd think that's probably something we'd all need to do more than normal.

[Outshined_One]

16 minutes ago, craig said:

Man, would it be sweet if the Cubs really clicked with Harshorn and he emerged as a serious guy.   

This sums up Hartshorn to me.  He's the quintessential Shiny New Toy since he we don't have much data on him, but every reason to drool over his potential.

Given that the Cubs have been aggressive in giving him PT in Spring Training games, I'm curious to see if they'll challenge him with Myrtle Beach right out of the gate.  If so, then it's time for Helium Watch!