Chicago Cubs MiLB Pitchers of the Month: May 2026

Not to sound like a broken record, but the Chicago Cubs' pitching pipeline is a bit bleak and, until the draft and/or trade deadline, is likely to remain that way. With relatively few standouts, May’s list looks a lot like April’s list, with three of the four pitchers repeating. Without further ado, here are May’s Cubs minor-league pitchers of the month.

Ranking Cubs' Best Minor-League Pitchers in May

Honorable Mention: Brooks Caple - RHP - Knoxville

Caple repeats as an honorable mention this month after earning a promotion from South Bend to Knoxville and not missing a beat. In his five starts in South Bend, he put up a 26:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21.2 innings. In his first four appearances in Double-A, he has 23 strikeouts and just four walks in 20.2 innings of work. His velocity continues to tick upwards since he was drafted, as he now tops out at 98 miles per hour. For a Cubs team starved for pitching at the higher levels, the 6’6” right-hander has forced his way into the at-large conversation.   

 Third Place: Mason McGwire - RHP - South Bend

Last month’s winner of this award, McGwire was again very good in five appearances in Myrtle Beach with 27 strikeouts against just five walks in 18 innings of work. McGwire earned a promotion to finish the month with South Bend, where he threw three scoreless innings with six strikeouts and gave up just one hit in his lone appearance. McGwire continues to put up impressive strikeout and walk numbers in his first action since 2024. While only 22, he could force the Cubs hand if he continues to put up similar numbers following his promotion to South Bend. 

Runner-up: Pierce Coppola - LHP - Myrtle Beach

Drafted in the seventh round last year, Coppola debuted with eight innings in Myrtle Beach where he struck out 14 but also walked nine batters. To start this season, he was on the DL. Not the IL, the DL as in the Development List. It appears as though it may have worked based on the early returns. The massive 6’8” lefty made five starts in May and had a nearly 40% k rate in 20 innings while allowing a paltry .167 batting average. The former New Jersey prep standout and Florida Gator still had a walk rate of nearly 15%, far too high, but if he can continue to stay healthy and improve his command, he may make the Cubs an offer they can’t refuse.

Winner: Dominick Reid - RHP - Myrtle Beach

Reid was runner-up in April but he wins the column this month. Last month, I highlighted the disparity between his first nine innings and his last nine innings; in his five starts in May, Reid resembled the pitcher he was in his first two appearances of the season much more than the three starts to end April. He averaged 5.0 innings per start, a relative rarity in minor-league baseball nowadays. In those 25 innings. he racked up 27 strikeouts against just 8 walks. Reid had one subpar start where he allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks in just four innings. In his other four starts, he turned in 21 innings with 25 punchouts, allowing just two earned runs on nine hits and six walks. After 107.2 total innings in three years in college, Reid is still raw and developing, so inconsistency is to be expected. If he can continue to gain consistency with his breaking ball to go along with his quality changeup, he should continue to emerge as a legitimate prospect for the Cubs.