There has been no shortage of elite hitters to pass through the confines of Wrigley Field. What’s even more impressive about the club’s rich history of sluggers is that a lot of them were homegrown. Well, as the minor league season heads into late June, Josiah Hartshorn is giving Cubs faithful plenty of reason to believe he could be their next great homegrown middle of the lineup mainstay.
The Next Great Cubs Slugger Could Be Emerging in the Minor Leagues
At just 19 years old, the Cubs’ sixth-round pick from the 2025 MLB Draft has already played his way into High-A, and if he keeps his current pace, he could very well be in Double-A by the end of the season. Or, at the very least, a Top-100 prospect in baseball.
Josiah Hartshorn’s Impressive Start
Many scouts and organizations believe it’s important to give young prospects time to get adjusted to pro baseball. High school hitters can have a tendency to start slow as they get comfortable, but that hasn’t been the case for Hartshorn. In fact, it’s been the exact opposite. Over his first 39 games in the minor leagues, Hartshorn posted a .884 OPS with nine doubles, five home runs, and more walks (34) than strikeouts (27).
With those numbers, Hartshorn recently earned himself a promotion to High-A, South Bend, where he has arguably played even better. Through his first 19 games at the level, the Orange Lutheran High School graduate has already launched eight home runs and driven in 28 runs, resulting in an .821 SLG and 1.284 OPS in 67 at-bats.
For as impressive as those numbers are, Hartshorn’s first pro season becomes even more remarkable when you dive deeper. At just 19 years old, the Cubs’ budding prospect has the fifth-highest wRC+ (165) and 4th-highest wOBA (.454) among all minor league hitters at all levels with at least 200 at-bats. Aside from his power and ability to put the ball in the air, which has him in the 99th percentile amongst minor leaguers with 200+ at-bats, per TJStats, Hartshorn has kept his strikeout numbers low for someone his age.
According to TJStats, the current South Bend Cubs outfielder ranks in the 81st percentile in whiff rate (22.6%) and the 79th percentile in strikeout rate (19.5%), among all minor leagues with 200+ at-bats. To take it a step further, among all 19-year-olds with 200+ at-bats in the minors, Hartshorn has the fifth-lowest strikeout rate, putting him in the same tier as the current top prospect in baseball, Jesus Made.
What Does the Future Hold for Josiah Hartshorn?
As it stands, Hartshorn is the Cubs 7th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, but that will not be the case by the end of the season if he keeps raking. Many scouting publications already say Hartshorn is playing like a Top-100 prospect in baseball, as his stats rival prospects already on those lists. For example, last year’s first overall pick, Eli Willits, is the same age as Hartshorn, and at this point, the Cubs slugger has a higher SLG, ISO, OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ than the current #4 prospect in all of baseball.
The switch-hitting Hartshorn has shown elite plate discipline at both levels he’s played at this season, and with his pitch selection, he’s forcing pitchers to feed him fastballs that he can elevate. Now, if there is one thing that Hartshorn will need to improve on over time, it’s his defense. Heading into the season, there was concern over the Cubs’ farmhand being able to find a position he can stick at, as FanGraphs has him with 30-grade fielding.
The likelihood is that Hartshorn will continue to play a corner outfield spot with the hopes that he can develop over time, but it seems as if scouts are more skeptical about that. Regardless of his defensive outlook, though, Hartshorn’s hit tool is becoming too strong to ignore, and is certainly something that could keep Cubs fans dreaming about him being a middle-of-the-lineup staple for years to come.
Main Photo Credits: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
