Every year, a handful of players ranked outside the top 10 in their respective farm systems take meaningful steps forward to improve their stock and vault up prospect rankings. Part of the fun is trying to identify those breakouts before it happens. So today, we’re identifying Cubs prospects who have the potential to make a jump in 2026.

To qualify, a player must rank outside the organization’s preseason Top 10 prospects. All scouting reports are from Baseball America’s 2026 Prospect handbook, which you can purchase here.

You can find Top 30 prospect rankings for all teams here and all breakout candidates here.

Breakout Prospects

Josiah Hartshorn, OF

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 3

Track Record: Hartshorn is the latest player drafted out of Southern California high school baseball powerhouse Orange Lutheran. He is a switch-hitter who dealt with a variety of injuries throughout his high school career. Injuries to his elbow, back and oblique would limit him to exclusively lefthanded or righthanded swings for long stretches. The Cubs drafted Hartshorn in the sixth round in 2025 and signed him for a well above-slot bonus of $2 million. He did not debut following the draft.

Scouting Report: Hartshorn is a physical switch-hitting slugger with average height, present strength and physicality, leaving little room for projection. His lefthanded swing is long, starting with a high leg lift trigger that gets deep into his back leg. It’s possible his swing was out of sync due to the injuries he dealt with as a prep. His lefty swing makes use of a scissor kick in his lower half. Hartshorn shows average bat-to-ball skills with an advanced—and at times passive—plate approach. He shows good bat speed from both sides of the plate with present strength. He’ll need to add some more loft to his swings in order to get to more consistent game power as a professional. Hartshorn will need to maintain his body as he gets older to maintain his average athleticism. He’s an average runner who likely is more of a fringe-average runner at peak. Hartshorn is likely destined for the corner outfield, where his above-average arm will play.

The Future: Hartshorn is a higher-upside switch-hitter with above-average everyday regular upside but lots of risk.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

Dominick Reid, RHP

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Reid spent two seasons at Oklahoma State, pitching a total of 19.1 innings, before transferring to Abilene Christian as a junior in 2025. He made 15 starts and pitched to a 3.26 ERA while striking out 112 batters to 27 walks over 88.1 innings. He made the all-Western Athletic Conference first team. The Cubs drafted Reid in the third round in 2025 and signed him for $649,125.

Scouting Report: Reid is a prototypical righthanded starter with size and a fully mature physical build. He is a good mover on the mound who gets downhill and creates seven feet of extension on average. His longer arm action gives way to a three-quarters arm slot with slight crossfire delivery. Reid mixes four pitches in a four-seam fastball, changeup, slider and curveball. His four-seam fastball sits 92-94 mph and touches 96 with below-average ride and plane to the plate. His best secondary and best pitch overall is his changeup. It sits 82-84 mph with good vertical separation off his fastball. He kills lift on the pitch while driving armside run. The fastball and changeup dominate Reid’s pitch usage, but he also shows a pair of breaking ball shapes: a mini-sweeper slider at 81-82 mph and a two-plane curveball sitting 79-80 mph with more depth than his slider. Reid shows average command of his pitch mix.

The Future: Reid is a changeup-first righthanded starter with a chance to develop into a No. 5 starter with added fastball velocity or an improved breaking pitch.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50

Owen Ayers, C

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Ayers was not highly recruited out of Sarasota High in Florida and committed to the State JC of Florida. He spent two seasons there before transferring to Marshall, where he spent two additional seasons. He set the Thundering Herd’s single-season record for doubles in consecutive seasons. The Cubs drafted Ayers in the 19th round in 2024, signing him for $50,000. He debuted in Low-A in 2025 and spent the entire season with Myrtle Beach. Ayers broke his hand in late July and missed the final month. Following the season, Ayers participated in the Arizona Fall League and was selected as an all-star.

Scouting Report: Ayers entered pro ball as a light-hitting outfielder who had caught a little in college but played a majority of his time as an outfielder. He added strength heading into 2025 and saw a modest increase in game power. The switch-hitting Ayers is a far better hitter from the left side than the right, struggling to do much damage against lefties while showing a passive approach. Against righthanded pitchers, he’s an average hitter with fringy bat-to-ball skills and excellent swing decisions. Ayers’ hit tool is heavily boosted by his plus swing decisions. His strength gains heading into the season led to improved exit velocities and game power. He lacks the ability to elevate the ball to his pull side, but his steepest angles come on his hardest-hit balls. Behind the plate, Ayers has a plus-plus arm he uses to control the running game. He’s newer to catching and is still improving as a receiver and blocker.

The Future: Ayers looks like he could carve out a long career as a backup catcher.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 70