Chicago Cubs 2026 Minor League Hitters Of The Year

The Cubs' 2026 season officially concluded last week with a Wild Card Series loss to the San Diego Padres. Well before that, though, minor-league seasons had already ended, and depending on how much you paid attention, you may have missed quite the season for some of the top Cubs prospects.

Chicago did part ways with their former Nos. 1 & 2 prospects (Moisés Ballesteros and Jefferson Rojas) during the season, creating a path for new prospects to step forward and make their mark atop the prospect rankings. Some of those prospects did just that. Let's dive into those seasons and crown our three Minor League Hitters of the Year in the Cubs' system.

3. Kane Kepley - 125 G, 444 AB, .243 AVG, 10 HR, 70 RBI, 70 SB, 120 BB, 127 R

Kepley didn't have the best season in terms of average and power, the rest of what he did at the plate earns him a spot on this list. Kepley hit just .243 across two levels, but he posted a .422 on-base percentage, a higher number than his .401 slugging average.

That .422 OBP was aided by his minor leagues-leading 120 walks, the fifth-most by any minor-league player since the 2005 season. Kepley made opposing pitchers pay for giving him a free pass, too, as he stole 70 bases. His efficiency in both areas is worth noting, too. In 595 plate appearances, he only struck out 89 times, despite working enough deep counts to rack up all those walks. He was caught stealing just six times en route to the 70 thefts.

The combination of patience and speed earned him 127 runs scored, also the fifth-most in a minor-league season since 2005. Kepley still has a ways to go before reaching the major leagues but if he continues to get on base at over a .400 clip, his speed and patience may make for a quicker promotion that others who hit in the .240-.250 range.

2. Owen Ayers - 125 G, 447 AB, .289 AVG, 25 HR, 29 2B, 82 RBI, .929 OPS

You could argue that Ayers was the top hitter in Chicago's farm system, as he had a nearly identical season to our No. 1 ranked hitter, Josiah Hartshorn. Ayers shot up through three levels this season, beginning the year with High-A South Bend and finishing with Triple-A Iowa. His best numbers came in his 69 games with Double-A Tennessee, where he slashed .304/.417/.591 with 16 home runs, 16 doubles, 48 RBIs and 42 walks. His production at Triple-A declined a bit, as he slashed .247/.365/.356 with three homers, 10 doubles and 20 RBIs.

Ayers will start the 2027 at Triple-A, and with continued success both at the plate and behind the dish, there's a very good chance we'll see him on the major-league roster at some point during the season.

1. Josiah Hartshorn - 125 G, 450 AB, .284 AVG, 23 HR, 112 RBI, 91 BB, .925 OPS

The new and undisputed top prospect in the Cubs organization is our top Minor League Hitter of the Year. Hartshorn, the 6th-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, burst onto the scene in 2026 and made a major name for himself. Much like Ayers, Hartshorn made it through to three different levels during the season and put the baseball world on notice. The difference is, he did it all at age 19.

Hartshorn's most action came with High-A South Bend, where he slashed .297/.405/.560 with 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 85 RBIs, 54 walks and 12 stolen bases. The 85 RBIs set a new South Bend Cubs record, and he was the only Cubs prospect to reach 100 RBIs overall, at any level.

It was one of the best prospect seasons in recent memory for Chicago, and Hartshorn earned the right to be the No. 1 prospect in the organization. He'll have a legion of eyes on him entering the 2027 season, and with another outstanding season, he could be a dark horse candidate to be a September call-up. If nothing else, though, his stock is way up from when he was drafted. The Cubs have to celebrate (and capitalize upon) such occasions.

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Interested in learning more about the Chicago Cubs' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!