A few Cubs prospect notes for your Friday afternoon …
There is a profound battle brewing in the Chicago Cubs farm system. A battle for attention. Because every night, as soon as one of Owen Ayers and Josiah Hartshorn does something incredible, the other does something right back. It’s delightful. On the heels of talking about Ayers’ monster double-header day on Wednesday, he went right back out and had another big game on Thursday, with three hits and a walk in his six plate appearances. He has been such a pest this week that even the opposing broadcasters are growing annoyed:When the other team's announcers get pissed at Owen Ayers ? pic.twitter.com/29AVikdlLg
Josiah Hartshorn blasts his third homer in the past four games for the High-A @SBCubs ?The @Cubs' No. 7 prospect is slashing .415/.462/.830 since being promoted: pic.twitter.com/HIr6VyyFhm
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 12, 2026 The 19-year-old switch-hitting outfielder is hitting .313/.434/.563/163 wRC+ overall on the season over 242 plate appearances between Low-A and High-A, but he’s actually been even better at his higher level on the year (.415/.462/.830/202 wRC+). The numbers would be silly for any hitter in any context, but we’re talking about a 19-year-old in his first pro season, doing this at High-A. The sample is still on the small side, but this is not something we as Cubs fans have seen from a teenage prospect in a long time (if ever). That doesn’t mean Hartshorn will necessarily be an all-time great or whatever; I’m just saying, what he’s doing this year doesn’t really have precedent in our recent fandom. Back to Ayers for a moment:Owen just turned 25, and this is all very new (19th round pick less than two years ago), so we’re all still contextualizing how extreme this breakout is.But this is a patient switch-hitter with a real power stroke that seems a good bet to stay at catcher with a fully plus arm.
— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) June 10, 2026 Meanwhile, Jefferson Rojas is over here like, hey guys, I still do stuff, too:Jefferson Rojas DELIVERS to give the Smokies the lead in the 6th ? pic.twitter.com/IgPbcdKVj7
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) June 12, 2026 In a normal year, a 21-year-old shortstop hitting .269/.346/.478/124 wRC+ at Double-A (with excellent peripherals) would be getting a lot more attention. Sorry, Jefferson. Not your fault. FINALLY SOMETHING on Ethan Conrad! I’ll take it:Cubs 2025 1st round draft pick @ethanconrad23 was doing some throwing in camp on Wednesday. He was also charging (and bending) to pick up grounders and throwing, as well as walking towards the cages with his bat. Looks like he's making progress! #Cubs pic.twitter.com/hoDFpBq7bJ
— Rich Biesterfeld (@biest22) June 11, 2026 The Cubs’ first round pick from 2025 has yet to make his pro debut after a spring back injury, and, thanks to the shoulder injury that saw him slip to the Cubs in the draft in the first place, he hasn’t played in competitive games in well over a year. At this point, I’m just hoping he can get in a couple months of work this year. The pitcher injury issues at Iowa are generating jokes that are not jokes because they are just facts:How has the Iowa Cubs season been going?Catcher Casey Opitz has more innings pitched than top prospect Jaxon Wiggins.
— Greg Huss (@OutOfTheVines) June 12, 2026 Outfield prospect Eli Lovich has quietly been on a tear:Lovich stays hot tonight!2-for-3 with a walk, he's smashed two line drive singles and is showing great feel for the zone. I ranked him #15 in the system.He deserves much more attention for what he's doing! t.co/vPZ8fG8Bj5 pic.twitter.com/thVJPMHWHU
— Nate Roper (@NateRoper_) June 11, 2026 Since May 21, Lovich is hitting .306/.419/.645/183 wRC+, and, critically, the strikeout rate is under 25% in that time. That’s the key for him. Michael Carico is healthy pretty much for the first time since he was drafted in 2023 and he’s destroying High-A (.257/.457/.440/157 wRC+):Back-to-back BOMBS from Michael Carico and Derniche Valdez!! ? Birds take a 7-4 lead! pic.twitter.com/KWuT79OOHT
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 12, 2026 Because he’s older and has been a pro for a while now (albeit with limited game time), I would tentatively expect Carico to get the bump to High-A South Bend sometime this summer. Also of note on him: he’s pretty much exclusively played first base this year, rather than catcher, so he’ll have to keep on raking.Hence then, the article about cubs prospect notes hartshorn ayers rojas conrad lovich carico 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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