At some point in 2026, Moises Ballesteros and hopefully Jaxon Wiggins will graduate from prospect status and become contributors for the Cubs in the majors. That will open a path for the next top prospect in the Cubs’ minor league system and fans are getting a preview of how special shortstop Jefferson Rojas can be early in spring training.
The 20-year-old infielder is in his first big-league camp as a non-roster invitee to this year’s spring training and Rojas has taken advantage of his playing time through the first week of game action. The young infielder was a fringe top-100 prospect in 2025, cracking MLB Pipeline’s list at No. 97, entering last season. Rojas didn’t have the breakout season he had hoped for as the shortstop floundered in his first stint at Double-A.
However, the talent is obviously present and the bat has especially looked good early on in Cactus League games. During Monday’s matchup against the Kansas City Royals, Rojas blasted a solo home run off right-handed reliever Luinder Avila.
This ball was crushed as Rojas demolished a 96 mph fastball to left field with an impressive exit velocity of 107.5 mph.
🔥 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.
That was the hardest-hit ball by any Cubs player against the Royals and only Bobby Witt Jr. made harder contact in the game.
Rojas has three hits in eight at-bats through four spring training games and what’s been most noticeable is the quality of his contact. That 413-foot home run against the Royals was the fourth batted ball with an exit velocity above 100 mph in eight total at-bats.
Currently ranked No. 3, in the Cubs’ minor league system, Rojas has the potential to become a bonafide star prospect in MLB. FanGraphs currently has the highest opinion of Rojas among prospect evaluators as the Cubs shortstop was ranked 55th in their top-100 list heading into the 2026 season.
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Keith Law placed Rojas No. 79, on his list that was released prior to spring training
In 2025, Rojas was promoted to Double-A after slashing .278/.379/.492, with 11 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 67 games with the South Bend Cubs. After the All-Star break Rojas made the move up to Double-A and he struggled, posting a .485 OPS in 39 games to end the year.
So, at the very least you hope that a strong spring training will restore confidence in Rojas as he heads back for his second crack at Double-A. It’s always important to point out his age because as a 20-year-old, Rojas was on average nearly four years younger than his peers once he was promoted to Double-A in 2025.
