2025 MLB Farm Review: Chicago Cubs

We’ll start with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a team that featured two of the Cubs’ top 2024 MLB Draft picks: Cole Mathis and Ty Southisene.

Mathis was a hulking slugger (and two-way player) at the College of Charleston but a down start in 2024 before things picked up for him. This past season, Mathis only played 29 games, as he missed most of the year on the IL. He hit for power, as Mathis cracked three home runs and 13 extra-base hits over 29 contests.

The 22-year-old Mathis made up for the lost time in the AFL, as he posted a .859 OPS with Mesa. But before then, the former CoC standout did a lot right in his abbreviated time with the Pelicans. For those who noticed Mathis’ numbers in Arizona, he walked 15 times in the AFL. He was one of the best take men (61.9%) in the Carolina League.

As for Southisene, Ty is not the power-hitting threat that his younger brother, Tate, is. Tate posted a very low Whiff% (18.2%) in the Carolina League, one of the 20 lowest in the circuit. Southisene stole 42 bases but didn’t hit a home run for the Pelicans. He only had eight extra-base hits.

Moving on to other names, Owen Ayers slashed .238/.341/.420 with six home runs and 25 extra-base hits over 65 contests before he broke out in the AFL. Kane Kepley, one of the fastest outfielders in Division I with UNC this past year, stole 16 bases and posted a .481 OBP in 28 games. High take hitter (61.6%), and one who didn’t stare at many called strikes.

For the pitching staff, Jostin Florentino had a fantastic run during the second half of 2025 after he moved from the ACL. Florentino won the July 2025 Carolina League Pitcher of the Month award, as part of a run where he posted a 1.96 ERA and struck out 67 over 59.2 IP. Between the two levels, the 21-year-old struck out 101 combined batters over 81.1 IP and walked only 25.

Florentino, though, didn’t do it with high swing-and-miss (24% Whiff%). Nazier Mule, a former fourth-round pick by the Cubs in 2022, did (34%). Mule struck out 60 over 56 innings, a positive sign for a pitcher who didn’t throw a professional pitch until 2024.

South Bend Cubs

The Cubs have been highly active over the past few years when it came to the international amateur free agent market. And, one of their most recent signings, Cristian Hernandez, performed very well this past year with South Bend.

A middle infielder, Hernandez hit seven home runs and 34 extra-base hits, along with a team-high 52 stolen bases for South Bend. There is a lot of swing-and-miss (31% Whiff%) in his game. But also, upside.

Hernandez is no longer with the club. Chicago traded him to the Marlins in January 2026.

Aside from Hernandez, 20-year-old infielder Jefferson Rojas – perhaps the most valuable middle infielder in the Cubs’ Minor League system right now – had a big year with the South Bend Cubs. Rojas hit 11 home runs in just 67 games, tied for second on the team. The 20-year-old hit 28 total extra-base hits and also walked 38 times over 67 contests.

Rojas is a very interesting infielder. He hit for power, made consistent contact (20.4% Whiff%), and had one of the highest take rates (57.1%) in the Midwest League. He moved to Double-A Knoxville in mid-July, where he scuffled. Rojas slashed .164/.279/.205 over 39 games.

Carter Trice (31.6% Whiff) batted just .184 for the South Bend Cubs. However, he hit a team-high 14 home runs.

As for the pitching staff, it was largely dominated by Ryan Gallagher, who was a sixth-round pick by the Cubs back in 2024. Gallagher had a premier year with South Bend, as the right-hander struck out 85 batters and walked only 16 over 72.2 IP. His 32.3% Whiff% was one of the best among Midwest League starters.

Gallagher doesn’t throw hard but was effective at inducing swing-and-miss and chase. However, like Hernandez, he was also used to acquire Major League talent for the big club.

Reliever Johzan Oquendo (33.5% Whiff%) struck out 43 batters over 33 innings. Opposing batters hit just .135 off Oquendo. Kenyi Perez (33.2% Whiff%) also missed a lot of bats. However, Perez walked 46 over 39.2 IP.

Knoxville Smokies

The 2025 campaign was a massive one for Jaxon Wiggins, a 2023 second-round pick by the Cubs. Wiggins only pitched in 10 games for Double-A Knoxville – and for good reason.

Wiggins struck out 52 over 42 innings for the Smokies. Despite 17 walks, Wiggins conceded only 22 hits and allowed only one home run at the level. As we noted in our Southern League numbers recap, the right-hander posted the third-highest Whiff% (38.4%) in the circuit.

The 24-year-old right-hander has the potential to be a special arm for the Cubs. Wiggins will regularly hit 99-100 MPH with his four-seam fastball, and mix in a hard cutter, a changeup, and a slower curveball to work as his secondary offerings. 

Wiggins was the big standout on a Smokies team that didn’t have too much swing-and-miss. Grant Kipp (29% Whiff), a former Yale pitcher, struck out 110 batters over 108.2 IP, a team-high this past year. Kipp was part of a rotation that also included Chris Kachmar (73 K over 73.2 IP) and Sam Armstrong, the latter of whom was traded to the Twins with Ryan Gallagher for Willi Castro.

Will Sanders (28.7% Whiff%) struck out 44 over 44.1 IP.

A.J. Puckett, a 30-year-old who was a former second-round pick a decade ago, posted one of the highest GB% (49%) in the circuit.

Moving to the offense, the Smokies’ offensive troupe stayed the same for most of the year. As a matter of fact, Knoxville had only two players contribute at least one hit to the team in 2025.

First baseman B.J. Murray was the main contributor. Murray (23.4% Whiff%) had a good overall year, as he hit 20 home runs, stole 20 bases, and also netted himself 83 walks on the season. Murray was willing to take pitches; he did so more than 53% of the time this past year. But in an even bigger positive, only 25.7% of his takes resulted in a called strike.

Speaking of high take hitters, former Golden Gopher Brett Bateman (.046 ISO) didn’t hit for much power at all. However, he walked 61 times over 94 games and had one of the three highest take rates (64.6%) in the Southern League.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were flush with talent throughout the year. So much so that many of the players from last year’s team contributed to the big club at some point.

One of Iowa’s stars was Owen Caissie, the last big piece standing from the Yu Darvish trade in 2020. Caissie performed well in Iowa during the 2024 campaign but struck out a lot. He also didn’t have a clear path to playing time in Chicago. His second act in Triple-A was much better. Caissie hit 22 home runs and 52 extra-base hits, and cut down on the swing-and-miss.

Former second-round pick James Triantos slashed .258/.315/.369 (.684 OPS) with seven home runs, 28 stolen bases, and 29 extra-base hits over 102 games. Triantos (3.5% Barrel%) has never been an average power hitter in the Minors, as he’s generally been a contact hitter who can do things with his speed. The question is how Triantos’ game will translate to the next level.

We also saw Kevin Alcantara (11.1% Barrel%) and Moises Ballesteros (.858 OPS) have good years with the I-Cubs, with the latter being a big breakout star. Ballesteros (20.2% Whiff%) showed an innate ability to make consistent contact. It was an asset that helped him when he received time with the big club.

However, perhaps the best story to come out of 2025 was Jonathon Long. Long, a first baseman who was a former ninth-round pick, hit 20 home runs and 46 extra-base hits across 140 games. Long is a hitter who expands the zone (24.2% Chase%) a lot and can hit. And, the power (10% Barrel%) certainly makes him an intriguing player for the Cubs’ future.

As for the pitching staff, arguably, no pitcher received more attention than Cade Horton. Horton struck out 33 over 29 innings and allowed only two home runs with Iowa. It was a taste of things to come for Horton, who was called up by the Cubs in May and didn’t look back.

Brandon Birdsell (20.7% Whiff%) struck out 18 over 18.2 IP.

Early Projected Top 5 for 2026

1. Jaxon Wiggins
2. Moises Ballesteros
3. Jonathon Long
4. Ethan Conrad
5. Kevin Alcantara

The Cubs graduated Matt Shaw and Cade Horton last year, plus traded outfielder Owen Caissie — who would have ranked as the top player here — to get pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Marlins.

Chicago still has outfield depth that can contribute soon, as hulking outfielder Kevin Alcantara has received cameos in each of the last two seasons.

Wiggins’ breakout season puts him at the top of our prospect list, with Moises Ballesteros and Jonathon Long behind him.

There are other names to watch in 2026, who could move up. Kane Kepley, despite well-below-average power, is a plus speedster who could be a contributor down the line. There’s also switch-hitter Josiah Hartshorn, a 2025 sixth-rounder who was given $2MM to spurn Texas A&M.