Chicago Cubs fans have a lot to be excited about.
Of course, the biggest story is happening on the North Side. After a massive trade deadline for the organization, the Cubs are breathing harder down the Milwaukee Brewers’ neck for the division lead. Their pitching unit is looking significantly better, while their offense is finally firing on all cylinders.
However, as exciting as the present is, the franchise is only giving fans more reasons to be optimistic about the future. They held onto several top prospects during this month, despite the major deadline moves. And that already appears to be paying off!
Let’s go over how some of the Cubs’ top youngsters have performed in the minors over the last couple of weeks! Spoiler Alert: It’s really darn good!
Ethan Conrad Taking a Step
The Chicago Cubs’ No. 17 pick from the 2025 MLB Draft is picking up steam.
After hitting .412 in the ACL over five games, Ethan Conrad was officially moved to Myrtle Beach. He had a rough adjustment to begin July, hitting just .164 through the month with 17 strikeouts. The last couple of weeks have told a different story, however. Conrad is starting to look a lot more comfortable in Single-A and has nine hits over his last four games alone. He’s even got homers in back-to-back games for the first time in his young career.
Overall, Conrad now has a .858 OPS in a ten-game span. The strikeout rate has also sat at only 14.3 percent. Is it a small sample size? Of course, and the growing pains are going to continue for Conrad. But it’s undoubtedly a positive that he’s started to put together this kind of stretch. Chicago would now love to see this continue over the next few weeks and possibly get him promoted before the season comes to an end.
By the way, Conrad is now the No. 3 prospect in the organization’s system, per MLB Pipeline. A big reason for that is his ability to consistently create hard contact, which is now finally on display in the minors.
Josiah Hartshorn Continues to Dominate
The Chicago Cubs seemingly made one player untouchable at the trade deadline: Josiah Hartshorn.
The 19-year-old has been a revelation this season, climbing up nearly every Top 100 prospect list. What has gone right? Well … just about everything. He’s been a machine at the plate, only improving from Single-A to High-A ball with a .292 batting average and .951 OPS.
Speaking of which, Hartshorn is now up to 18 homers in the year, hitting his latest for the South Bend Cubs on August 9. As MLB Pipeline kindly pointed out on the app formerly known as Twitter, Hartshorn now has seven extra-base hits in his last 12 games, as well as 17 RBIs.
The offensive ceiling with Hartshorn is downright tantalizing. He is incredibly well-rounded at the plate and has a very mature frame for his age. On top of that, the positional versatility is a real plus. He’s comfortably suited up at every outfield position this season, as well as at first base.
To be sure, Hartshorn may not be an elite defender, but he’s got the tools to hold his own on that end. The Cubs have got a good one in their farm system, and they were right to make sure he didn’t go anywhere at this deadline.
New Additions to Top 30
Following the Chicago Cubs’ crazy trade deadline that saw seven players moved, major outlets have been forced to tweak the organization’s Top 30 prospect list. Baseball America officially made its changes earlier this week, sharing the names of the players who have moved up.
Of the seven newcomers, five are pitchers, including new No. 14 prospect Kevin Valdez. The Dominican Republic native played his first 16 games in High-A ball before he was promoted to Double-A, where he’s had a 4.19 ERA thus far. He’s one of the few high-upside strikeout guys Chicago has in the system.
With that said, Valdez is already 24 years old, so the team is certainly hoping this season can help speed up his ascension.
Here Comes Kane Kepley!
Right after the trade deadline came to a close, the Chicago Cubs gave Kane Kepley a promotion. The team’s second-round pick in 2025, Kepley was looking very comfortable in High-A with a .849 OPS, 54 RBIs, and 50 stolen bases in 93 games. He’s only continued to look like a sparkplug over his first four games with the Smokies.
Kepley already has a home run and four RBIs over his first four games. He’s also walked five times while striking out only two in his 13 at-bats. A small sample size? Absolutely, but Kepley was touted as a potential on-base demon, and he’s living up to that reputation early in his minor league career.
There were also serious questions about his power coming into the league. To be sure, this is never going to be his bread-and-butter, but he’s hit eight homers this year after sending just two out of the park during Year 1. Not bad!
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