2023 Chicago Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Josh Rivera
InsidetheCubs.com will review each of the Chicago Cubs’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.
No. 22: SS Josh Rivera, South Bend Cubs (High Class-A), Arizona Complex League Cubs (Rookie)
Statistics for 2023: (28 games) .262/.325/.447/.772, 21 runs, eight doubles, one triple, three home runs, 16 RBI, nine walks, 28 strikeouts, one stolen base, one caught stealing.
With ACL Cubs (3 games) .364/.364/.818/1.182, three runs, one triple, one home run, four RBI, two strikeouts.
With South Bend (25 games) .250/.320/.402/.722, 18 runs, eight doubles, two home runs, 12 RBI, nine walks, 26 strikeouts, one stolen base, one caught stealing.
Season Transactions: The Cubs drafted Rivera in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft and signed him on July 19. He was assigned to ACL Cubs on July 27 and promoted to South Bend on Aug. 1.
Season Summary: The Cubs believed they were drafting a polished hitter when they selected Rivera in the third round out of the University of Florida. After some quick onboarding and a short trip to Arizona to play in a few games for the ACL Cubs — where he hit .364 — the Cubs chose to skip Myrtle Beach and send him to South Bend. There, he posted a solid .250 batting average, flashed a little power, and drove in a dozen runs. It was a good taste of what the Cubs believe can be a solid hitting middle infielder.
Path Through the Organization: MLB teams might have taken a pass at drafting Rivera in 2019 had he not been so committed to playing college baseball at Florida, where he was the highest-rated member of their recruiting class. But he got off to a slow start, including an underwhelming performance in the 2021 Cape Cod League, before he grew into Florida's leading hitter and earned All-America honors in 2023. He appears to have grown into a more patient hitter, even though he only came into his own as a collegiate this spring.
What’s next: the Cubs will probably start Rivera at South Bend next spring, unless they sense regression in his offense during Spring Training. MLB.com scouts see him as a solid hitting middle infielder whose best attribute is his defense and instincts in running the bases. He has potential to reach 20 home runs, which would make him a solid bet to play either second base or third base at the Major League level. Even if the offense isn't there, his abilities defensively should at least get him a shot and moving up the ladder next year.
2023 Chicago Cubs Top 30 Prospect Wraps:
No. 30: Christian Franklin | No. 29: Brody McCullough | No. 28: Kohl Franklin | No. 27: Pablo Aliendo | No. 26: Porter Hodge | No. 25: Luke Little | No. 24: Jaxon Wiggins | No. 23: Caleb Kilian |
