The Arizona Fall League is a fun little peek into how a team views their minor league system; we can see (especially when it comes to hitters) who an organization likes, or maybe, who they think needs a little extra work. Current Cubs and Cub-farmhands such as Kevin Alcantara, Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros and some former Cubs in general, like Matt Mervis, have had stints in the AFL in the past that brought attention to their game. This year, the Cubs will not be sending any Top-100 prospects to the desert, and have overall left off most of the exciting names in their system. With that said, there are still a few players I think we should keep our eyes out for, either because they offer some interesting untapped upside, or because they may be getting one of their very last chances to impress the organization.

A full list of the Cubs’ AFL invitees can be found by looking at MLB.com, but here are four names I’ll be keeping an eye one—two for positive reasons and two for negative ones—as the minor league season comes to it’s final conclusion in Arizona.

Cole Mathis, 1b/3b – Myrtle Beach Pelicans
This has been a lost season for the Cubs’ 2023 second-round selection. A two-way player in college and thought of as an advanced hitter, the hope was that Mathis would follow in the footsteps of recent high-round draft picks such as Matt Shaw and Cam Smith and blow past low-level competition despite coming off of a Tommy John surgery. Sadly for Mathis and the Cubs, their new hitter struggled through May and then missed most of the rest of the year, returning only recently.

 

Getting Cole to go to Arizona is a good way to help him make up for some missed time. The second-round pick did show up just in time to finish the season with a few games, even hitting a double, but could really use some time to get into the swing of things. Arizona Phil, an expert in coverage of the Complex League, reported that Mathis had been seen taking balls at third base, which might be the thing to look for the most: his defensive ability and his arm strength. Mathis can still get his career on a good track, and it could start this fall.

Luis Martinez-Gomez, RP – South Bend Cubs
Usually, pitching at the Arizona Fall League is not the most exciting, but Martinez-Gomez offers just enough upside that it’s probably worth willing to keep and eye on. Listed at 6’2″, there’s enough size to be somewhat interested in his development in general. The 22-year-old struggled during his time in Myrtle Beach, walking almost one hitter per inning, but something seemed to click over his 17 innings in South Bend, as his walk rate plummeted from 18% to 5.8%.

MLB.com has Martinez-Gomez sitting at 92-96mph with his fastball. While he’s listed at 6″2, his weight of 178lbs does suggest there may be a little extra left in the tank. In a league where the standouts are usually the offensive players, a strong showing could mean that something has clicked for the reliever moving forward.

Ed Howard, SS, Tennessee Smokies
We’re probably nearing the end of the line for the former first-round pick. Ed Howard gets the “bust” label from many, and while I still hesitate to call him a bad selection (the 2020 draft was near-impossible from a scouting standpoint to begin with) he hasn’t done anything of note to date in his Cub career. Most of this is beyond his blame; Howard didn’t shut the world down in 2020 making him miss a senior season, nor did he choose to have a litany of injuries derail his career. But, the Cubs cannot just keep rostering nice guys who you really want to succeed, and Howard is getting to a point where the Cubs may have to consider what his future may be. 

2025 was a similar story for the shortstop as years past. There were fleeting moments of intrigue sandwiched around poor hitting and a lot of injuries. Much like Mathis, Howard is going to get a chance to get in some extra work. Unlike their 2023 second-rounder, however, Howard really needs this time to show he belongs. The Cubs have lots of interesting shortstop prospects currently, with players such as Ty Southsiene, Cristian Hernandez, Angel Cepeda and Top-100 prospect Jefferson Rojas floating around similar levels as Howard. A big AFL could at least help him gain a little footing heading into 2026.

Koen Moreno, P, South Bend Cubs
Koen Moreno was another selection from the 2020 draft, albeit a fifth-round selection. Signed away from a UCLA commitment, the prep arm had some high hopes riding on him. Much like the rest of that draft class, his Cubs’ career has been marked with inconsistency and injury. Throwing only 12 innings in 2025, Moreno is another player who is fighting to remain relevant. In his 12 innings, the former fifth-round pick did post an encouraging 2.25 ERA and a 3.89 xFIP, but at age 23 in High-A, especially with a 16% walk rate, these numbers ring a little hollow. 

 

While pitchers can find their footing at older ages, Moreno’s needle has gone from “encouraging prep arm” to “forgettable” over the last half-decade. If he’s going to capture some magic, a good showing against some of the better offensive prospects in baseball would begin to help.

Who are you going to be looking at this AFL Season? Are there other Cubs prospects that you’re excited for? Let us know in the comments below!

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