Kevin Alcántara belted his eighth home run of the season for the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A on Sunday, giving him the most among all the prospects in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system. The talented outfielder still has some questions to answer with his plate discipline, but it’s hard to ignore a .989 OPS and 143 wRC+ through 18 games from the 23-year-old at Triple-A. That being said, Alcántara’s hot start isn’t even the best storyline for Cubs’ prospects to begin the 2026 season.
On Tuesday, the Cubs announced a pair of early-season promotions for two hitters who were proving to be way too good for their level of competition. Catcher Owen Ayers is now up to Double-A with the Knoxville Smokies, while infielder Cole Mathis has been pushed up to Advanced A-Ball with the South Bend Cubs. Entering the week, Ayers and Mathis were the top-two hitting prospects in the Cubs’ farm system.
Owen Ayers
The 24-year-old catcher was selected in the 19th round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Marshall. The switch-hitter didn’t make much of a first impression, posting a .573 OPS in 18 games after he was drafted in Low A-Ball. In 2025, Ayers only played in 65 games, missing the final month of the regular season after suffering a broken hand in July. The Cubs wanted him to get more action and make up for the missed time, so Ayers played in the Arizona Fall League. Ayers was an All-Star and had a 1.130 OPS with three home runs, 16 RBI, while drawing more walks, 22, than strikeouts, 10.
So, it’s not much of a surprise that Ayers was crushing pitching to begin this year. In 52 plate appearances with the South Bend Cubs, Ayers slashed .372/.481/.860, with six home runs. Those results from Ayers translated into a 231 wRC+ and a league-leading 1.341 OPS.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
In his last six games with South Bend, Ayers was 10-for-25, with 5 home runs and a double. So yeah, Ayers was 100% ready for a new challenge.
Cole Mathis
Another 2024 draft pick, Cole Mathis has dealt with injuries since joining the Cubs’ organization. He was picked in the second round, 54th overall, but didn’t play in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Mathis made his pro debut with Myrtle Beach in 2025, and in 29 games, he had mixed results. The right-handed batter hit .215, but a 13.3 BB% bumped Mathis’ OBP to .336. He had a .738 OPS, and that was good for a 121 wRC+.
Mathis missed four months in 2025, so like Ayers, the Cubs also sent him to the Arizona Fall League. Mathis had a solid showing, posting an .839 OPS. His .439 OBP ranked third-best among all the hitters. He’s followed that up with a jaw-dropping 204 wRC+ in his first 66 plate appearances in 2026. Mathis has seven home runs in 14 games, leading all hitters in Low A-Ball.
Now, Mathis is moving up to Advanced A-Ball, replacing Ayers on the roster with the South Bend Cubs.
So, it is great to see the Cubs moving up two prospects this early in the season, and they definitely deserved it. Now, we’ll see how good they can be facing tougher competition.
Oh, and by the way, the Cubs also have a 19-year-old tearing it up in the minors too.
Alcántara will probably see action with the Cubs later in 2026, but right now, there are other incredibly exciting storylines developing across the minor leagues. On the pitching side, Mark McGwire’s son is making a name for himself in the Cubs’ system as well.
