Chicago Cubs breakout prospect Pedro Ramirez capped off April by hitting his eighth home run of the season for the Iowa Cubs, tying his single-season high in long balls in less than 30 games. The switch-hitting infielder has taken a giant leap forward so far in 2026, and he was rewarded this week, as Ramirez was named the International League Player of the Month in Triple-A for April.
Ramirez, 22, has been heralded for his defense in the minors, and despite a solid 122 wRC+ in Double-A during the 2025 season, questions remained about his projection as a potential MLB hitter. Well, so far in 2026, Ramirez has smashed any assumptions about his hitting tool, already hitting eight home runs with a .312/.381/.584 slash line at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs.
During the month of April, Ramirez played in 24 games and posted a 1.023 OPS in 109 plate appearances. He led the league in home runs with seven, 28 RBI, and most total bases, and Ramirez’s power surge helped him record a .625 slugging percentage, which finished second overall among all players.
The switch-hitter first broke into pro ball back in 2021 in the Dominican Summer League. His career high for home runs in a single season is eight, which he reached twice before this year’s breakout performance.
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Now, through 31 total games, Ramirez is on his way to climbing up prospect rankings. He began the year ranked No. 8 in the Cubs minor league system according to MLB Pipeline’s top-30 rankings for each team.
If you’re the Cubs, you have to be ecstatic over Ramirez’s substantial growth since last year as a player. While the Cubs have a stacked major league infield, having quality depth one phone call away shouldn’t be taken for granted. A few months ago, Ramirez was seen as a potential bench guy, a defensive-sub type of player, but now he’s raising his profile as a guy who can start in the big leagues.
The results don’t appear to be fluky either.
Who knows what the future holds for Ramirez, but this early-season breakout is a huge deal for the Cubs, who have seen their minor league system get somewhat depleted in recent years.
