Meteoric Rise of Owen Ayers Gives the Cubs A Lot to Think About at Catcher

The Chicago Cubs' farm system is looking better and better.

First things first, the organization addressed a clear need this weekend with a pitcher-heavy MLB Draft. They added multiple high-upside arms, which included going with Ole Miss standout Cade Townsend in the first round. It marked their first time selecting a pitcher in Round 1 since Cade Horton. And I think it's safe to say that worked out nicely!

However, these newbies aren't the only reason to be optimistic about what the future holds. This season has seen multiple Cubs youngsters exceed expectations. Josiah Hartshorn has easily garnered the most attention with his .915 OPS in High-A. However, there is another name giving him a serious run for the imaginary "Breakout Prospect Award" after another big promotion.

Owen Ayers Heads to Iowa Cubs

Knoxville Smokies' Owen Ayers (6) during the Minor League Baseball game against the Columbus Clingstones on July 1, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The meteoric rise for Owen Ayers continues!

According to Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation, the Cubs' catching prospect (and No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) is about to get a call to Triple-A. The promotion will be the THIRD this season for Ayers, who started the year in High-A with the South Bend squad.

All it took was 11 games in High-A for the Cubs to move Ayers to the Tennessee Smokies. He hit .373 in those 43 at-bats with six home runs and 14 RBIs. As for his next 65 games in Double-A, Ayers has only looked like the same exciting bat.

He's slashed .304/.417/.591 with an absurd 1.008 OPS. Ayers' 16 home runs are second on the Smokies, while his 48 RBI are fourth, putting him behind only three players who have appeared in more Double-A games this season. In other words, he's essentially left the Cubs no choice but to see if he can continue this momentum at the Triple-A level.

To make matters even more impressive, the Cubs grabbed Ayers with the 572nd pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He was one of the oldest players in Single-A ball during his first season and had generally low expectations. To be sure, the power he brought to the plate was always intriguing, but there were obvious questions about how complete a player he could be. This is particularly true when we consider that he started playing catcher far later in his career than normal.

Nevertheless, Ayers has proven that he is worthy of another bump. And it makes you wonder what it could mean for the future of the Cubs' catching position.

Could the Cubs Shake Things Up at Catcher Soon?

The chance of Owen Ayers stepping into a legitimate major league role this season remains low. We rarely see that quick a climb, and the Cubs are obviously well-positioned with both Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly available at the backstop. But how much longer will they go with that tandem? Could the rise of Ayers convince them to move on from one of those two soon?

Don't forget the Cubs and Carson Kelly have a decision to make this offseason. While keeping him around would make a lot of sense after these last two seasons, what if another team tries to get Kelly to turn down his mutual option? Unfortunately, it sometimes doesn't take much to outbid the Cubs.

I also can't help but wonder if Ayers could lead Jed Hoyer to think twice about Miguel Amaya. A case can be made that he deserves more opportunity, but what if another team is interested in the 27-year-old's services? Putting him on the trade market might be a risk, but it could also be a great way to fix some other holes on this roster, specifically in the pitching department.

Look, Ayers still has a lot to prove, but moving to Triple-A means the Cubs do have to start thinking a little more about what the future holds. Is it a good problem? Absolutely, but it's a problem nonetheless! And we haven't even mentioned Moises Ballesteros. While things may have fallen apart for him this season, he's still shown some tremendous upside.

A lot to think about!

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