A handful of Cubs prospect notes for your Wednesday afternoon …
For so many Chicago Cubs prospects, especially on the positional side, the minor league season could not have kicked off any better. Kevin Alcantara? Homered again last night, scorching overall. Jefferson Rojas? Ditto and ditto. James Triantos? Pedro Ramirez? Jonathon Long? Ariel Armas? Josiah Hartshorn? Cole Mathis? Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot. Pretty much the only bummer on the positional side so far this minor league season is that Ethan Conrad suffered a back injury in the spring and hasn’t made his debut yet. The sample of one game is too little to say much yet about anyone at South Bend, where the first three days of games of the year were punted by rain. But at least it’s nice to see fun things from Kane Kepley and Owen Ayers:The newest Cubs set the tone! ?In their High-A debuts, Kane Kepley and Owen Ayers get us on the board in the first inning of the season! pic.twitter.com/WceKJ1Ncng
Things we've learned tonight: don't run on Owen Ayers.#SBCubs pic.twitter.com/7NWIUuLgix
— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 8, 2026 I am desperate for the sample to get bigger on Hartshorn. The 2025 over-slot high school 6th rounder is hitting a hilarious .385/.571/.615/215 wRC+ through his first 21 professional plate appearances, with an even more hilarious 33.3% BB/4.8% K combo (no, I did not accidentally invert them). It’s too early to say much, obviously, which is why I want him to get to 100 PAs immediately so I can start saying stuff. This is certainly interesting, because it’s not as if every single pitcher in your organization has a future as a starter or a multi-inning reliever:# of pitcher outings this year from Cubs pitchers in Myrtle Beach, South Bend, and Knoxville: 31# of outings where the pitcher logged at least 4 outs OR ended the game: 30
— Greg Huss (@OutOfTheVines) April 8, 2026 It’s clearly part of the developmental philosophy, which, remember, is now being directed by Tyler Zombro. The Cubs have re-signed righty Tyler Beede, who was an offseason minor league signing, but was released back in March when rosters got squeezed. A profile on Jonathon Long, who is probably ready for the challenge of the big leagues, but for whom there isn’t a spot right now:Jonathon Long had a huge season with the @IowaCubs in 2025. How can he follow that up in 2026? Here’s what he had to say when I asked him. t.co/3a0Uz8SEdV
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) April 7, 2026 Love to see it from Tyler Schlaffer, who reached Double-A in the second half last year and increasingly looked like a future contributor:Tyler Schlaffer in his season debut:3.0 IP | 3 H | 3 R | 1 BB | 6 KI thought he pitched much better than the line shows. Defense didn’t do him any favors and a couple of bloops fell in.Generated a bunch of swing-and-miss with good life on his fastball and sharp secondaries. pic.twitter.com/7IMJs31MRf
— Carson Wolf (@TheWrigleyWire) April 8, 2026 A couple of those gents I mentioned up above as starting the year out hot have already started today out hot, too:Pedro Ramírez had 8 homers in 129 games last season.The @Cubs' No. 9 prospect goes yard for the 4th time in 11 games for the @IowaCubs. pic.twitter.com/XIf307a73A
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 8, 2026Jefferson Rojas ripping doubles in the early game.
— Brad (@ballskwok.bsky.social) 2026-04-08T16:52:20.533ZHence then, the article about cubs prospect notes hot starts ramirez rojas kepley ayers hartshorn schlaffer more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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