Cubs Minor League Hitter of the Month: June 2026

[Jason Ross]

Image courtesy of © Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

 

The Chicago Cubs have had an up-and-down season, winning 10, losing 10, hitting a billion home runs and going ice-cold. As the big-leaguers have ebbed and flowed, on the minor-league side of things, the team has been fairly consistent in terms of who's hitting and staying hot. June was yet another good month for much of the system, but which hitter tops the charts?

Ranking the Cubs' Best Minor-League Hitters of June:
Honorable mention: Josiah Hartshorn, OF, South Bend Cubs
Josiah Hartshorn has had a rocket ship strapped to his back all season. He's made quick work of Myrtle Beach and remains an outside chance of landing in Double-A Knoxville by the end of the year despite being 1.5 years shy of being able to order a beer at a ballgame. The 19-year old has been a revelation and an amazing draft pick so far. He even landed inside of the top 30 on Baseball America's most recent top-100 list. 

In June, the outfielder posted a 127 wRC+, hit seven home runs and even had his first miniature slump mixed in. The music keeps going on, however, as the kid just keeps blasting baseballs. 

Third Place: Kane Kepley, OF, South Bend Cubs
Kepley, the Cubs' second-round pick last year has been another steal, it seems. While it would be great to see a little power, the speedy outfielder has been a nightmare to keep off the bases, and June was no different. Kepley posted a 154 wRC+ during the month and walked nearly two times more than he struck out, walking 24 times to just 14 punchouts. He even powered two balls out for bombs. Kepley has gotten some top-100 love this year and just will not slow down—not that anyone would want him to (other than opposing pitchers).

Second Place: Jefferson Rojas, 3b, Knoxville Smokies
In a way, I feel gutted for Rojas, because most months, this is a standout performance. The 21-year-old infielder was smoking in June, belting seven home runs, rocking a .352 batting average, and posting a 161 wRC+. Rojas kept his K-rate around the 10% mark, walked almost 7% of the time, and looked like an absolute menace. It's crazy that our North Side Baseball top prospect keeps getting upstaged by someone each time, but that's a good thing, not a bad one. I'm not sure where Rojas will be come August 4, or what his pathway to the majors is, but it doesn't matter when you hit like he did in June.

Winner: Owen Ayers, C, Knoxville Smokies
What an insane, bananas, bonkers month Ayers just had. The numbers speak for themselves. In June, he hit .452, had a 252 wRC+, almost walked as much as he struck out, hit 20 extra-base knocks, and did all of this playing the most demanding and brutal position in baseball, and maybe in any sport. Yeah, yeah, he's 25, but who cares at this point? He even made Baseball America's top 10 risers list. Ayers has absolutely dominated Knoxville at a level that is hard to believe and isn't based on age. The former Thundering Herd (Herdsman? Herder? It's not a nickname that lends itself well to the swtich from collective to individual, is it?) has put himself in a position to be an asset to the Chicago Cubs organization. For a 19th-round selection, it's a pretty unreal outcome.

 

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