Baseball America released its brand new July update, and the Chicago Cubs might just have a new untouchable prospect. Josiah Hartshorn, a 19-year-old outfielder, didn’t make his pro debut until this year after he was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, but he’s now the top prospect in the Cubs’ minor league system according to Baseball America.
Furthermore, Baseball America ranked Hartshorn No. 29 overall in the latest top-100 prospects list.
The switch-hitter made a joke of Low-A Ball in Myrtle Beach to begin the regular season, which led to a quick promotion up to the South Bend Cubs in May. In 31 games since reaching the Midwest League, Hartshorn has a slash line of .304/.373/.607 with nine home runs, 35 RBI, 26 runs scored, and four stolen bases.
In the past few weeks, the Cubs have completely changed the trajectory of their season, going from a .500 record to 49-38. They will 100% be in a position to add pitching at the trade deadline, so naturally, fans should expect a lot of speculation during the next month. Hartshorn will be tossed around in trade rumors, but although there aren’t true untouchable prospects on any team, Hartshorn may be as close to that title as anyone else right now in the Cubs farm system.
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He’s made such a strong first impression this year, which includes a trip to the 2026 Futures Game.
A few weeks ago, Hartshorn cracked MLB.com’s top-100 prospects list, and now he’s up to No. 79 there, third in the Cubs’ minor league system. There’s a good chance that Hartshorn eventually becomes the consensus top prospect for the Cubs by the end of this year or by next spring.
Josiah Hartshorn Rising in Rankings
He wasn’t a first-round pick, and he didn’t play in the minors in 2025 after he was drafted, so it’s understandable why there wasn’t too much hype around 19-year-old Josiah Hartshorn entering 2026. However, the kid has certainly changed that, as Hartshorn is beginning to emerge as a star prospect.
Hartshorn started the 2026 season at Myrtle Beach in Low-A Ball, but he was promoted after outclassing the competition in 39 games. Now, after a month playing for the South Bend Cubs in High A-Ball, Hartshorn is on more people’s radar, officially cracking MLB’s top-100 prospects list on Friday.
Hartshorn had an incredible first couple of games after his promotion to South Bend, and he hasn’t exactly slowed down. In 21 games at High-A Ball, the switch-hitter has posted a slash line of .365/.427/.743 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, and 21 runs scored. Hartshorn had a stretch of hitting four home runs in five games and five home runs over seven games.
So, ranked at No. 100 on MLB’s rankings, Hartshorn is the fourth Cubs prospect to make the list in 2026, joining Jefferson Rojas (79), Pedro Ramirez (81), and Jaxon Wiggins (84).
In early May, Hartshorn was ranked No. 98 in Baseball America’s top-100 prospects list.
