Cubs Top Prospect Josiah Hartshorn Reaches Notable Milestone in First Season

The Chicago Cubs' No. 1 prospect, switch-hitting slugger Josiah Hartshorn, has put on quite a show at the plate in his first year in the minors.

Hartshorn, MLB Pipeline's No. 39 overall prospect for 2026, launched a solo shot for the South Bend Cubs on Tuesday. The 19-year-old drilled a 3-1 pitch to center field in the eighth inning of South Bend's 4-3 loss to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

With his latest long ball, Hartshorn now has 21 home runs this year. On that same swing, the young prospect also recorded his 100th RBI of the season. He's just the fifth player in the minor leagues to reach triple-digit RBIs in 2026. And he's done so at the very beginning of his professional career.

Outlook on Josiah Hartshorn in 2026 and beyond

Chicago Cubs prospect Josiah Hartshorn — South Bend infielder Josiah Hartshorn swings and hits a pitch during a Minor League Baseball game between the South Bend Cubs and the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Four Winds Field on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cubs selected Hartshorn with a sixth-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Orange Lutheran High School in California. And so far, the 19-year-old has flourished in his first season in Chicago's farm system.

Overall, Hartshorn has a .285 batting average, a .403 on-base percentage, and a .923 OPS with 21 homers, 100 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases in 111 games this season. The switch-hitting prospect made his professional debut this year with the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. In 39 Single-A games, the young slugger hit .273 with five home runs and 25 RBIs.

Hartshorn was then promoted to High-A South Bend at the end of May, and that's where he really started to take off. In 72 High-A games this season, the 19-year-old is hitting .291 with 16 homers and 75 RBIs. With his 100 total RBIs in 2026, he's ahead of other big-name prospects on the minor league RBI leaderboard, including the Detroit Tigers' Zyhir Hope, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Josue De Paula, and the Brewers' Andrew Fischer, who currently leads the minors in homers.

Defensively, Hartshorn has played first base, right field, and center field at the start of his pro career. That defensive flexibility could serve the highly touted prospect well as he continues his ascension through the minors. And with the way he's swung the bat this year, it wouldn't be surprising if the 2025 sixth-rounder is tearing the cover off the ball in Double-A early next season.

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