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\u2019re identifying Cubs prospects who have the potential to make a jump in 2026.<\/p>\n
To qualify, a player must rank outside the organization\u2019s preseason Top 10 prospects.\u00a0All scouting reports are from Baseball America\u2019s 2026 Prospect handbook, which you can purchase here<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can find Top 30 prospect rankings\u00a0for all teams here<\/a>\u00a0and all breakout candidates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Breakout Prospects<\/p>\n Josiah Hartshorn<\/a>, OF<\/p>\n BA Grade\/Risk: 55\/Extreme 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2014and at times passive\u2014plate approach. He shows good bat speed from both sides of the plate with present strength. He\u2019ll 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\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n The Future: Hartshorn is a higher-upside switch-hitter with above-average everyday regular upside but lots of risk.<\/p>\n Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55<\/p>\n
Adjusted Grade: 3<\/p>\n