Three Chicago Cubs Hitting Prospects Eyeing Breakout Campaigns This Season

The hitters are coming to Wrigley Field in 2025.

Matt Shaw, the Chicago Cubs’ No. 1 prospect, will have every chance to win the vacant third base job in spring training. Right behind him is outfielder Owen Caissie, who has a chance to crash the party, too.

There is also highly respected catcher Moises Ballesteros and infielder James Triantos, who are Top 5 prospects that are expected to start the season at Triple-A Iowa but could get call-ups soon, too.

So, the Cubs have plenty of young offense coming to the Windy City. But who replaces them?

Well, that’s where the Cubs need some young players to break out in 2025. Fortunately, according to Baseball America, the system has three hitters that have the chance to do just that.

The prospects include another third baseman, Cole Mathis, infielder/outfielder Jonathon Long and shortstop Angel Cepeda.

To quality, a prospect cannot be ranked among the Top 10 prospects in the system. All three are on the cusp of reaching the Top 10 — Mathis at No. 11, Long at No. 12 and Cepeda at No. 13.

Mathis played his college baseball at College of Charleston, where he played both ways, but it looks like his place in pro baseball is as a hitter. The Cubs took him in the second round in July, but he hasn’t played a professional game yet because he had Tommy John surgery in August. That means he may not take the field until the second half of 2025, though it’s easier for a position player to return sooner from that surgery than a pitcher.  

Scouts grade his best tool as his arm, as it received a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale by Baseball America’s scouts. The publication compared Mathis’ plate approach to that of Cincinnati youngster Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Long played his college baseball at Long Beach State, where he was a three-year starter before he was selected in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Listed as a first baseman on his MiLB.com page, he’s already reached Double-A Tennessee.

In 140 minor league games he has a slash line of .282/.393/.480/.873 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI. Last season was his first with a full-year affiliate and he posted 17 home runs and 70 RBI.

Not surprisingly, his best scouting grades are as a hitter and for his power, both of which have grades of 55. Baseball America believes he could reach Triple-A Iowa this season.

Cepeda is just 19 and was paid a $1 million bonus as an international free agent in 2023. He’s already earned a bid in the Dominican Summer League All-Star game and spent this fall in the Arizona Fall League.

In just 86 games he has a slash line of .294/.398/.428/.826 with four home runs, 39 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He should play his first year with a full season affiliate in 2025.