1 quickly rising Cubs prospect is making a ton of noise in Cactus League action

When you're getting the reigning NL Rookie of the Year to tip your cap to you, odds are you're doing something right. Cade Horton has had nothing but good things to say about Jefferson Rojas this spring - and he's not alone.

The young Chicago Cubs infield prospect has put on an impressive display in Cactus League action, slashing .357/.438/.714 in seven games entering Saturday. Everyone around him has noticed major maturation in his game - which the club is hoping will translate into a breakout season in 2026.

“Jefferson’s made a great impression,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com. “This is why you love to see the talented players from [player development] come over, even if they’re not ready to be big leaguers, necessarily. Just being able to see Jefferson at 19 two years ago and where we’re at right now, it’s like, ‘Wow.’

Cubs' prospect Jefferson Rojas is making a name for himself this spring

In nearly 1,400 minor-league plate appearances, Rojas is yet to put it all together at the plate - evidenced by a .715 OPS. He struggled in his first taste of Double-A action last year, but he was nearly four years younger than the average Double-A player, something that can't be overlooked.

A potential heir apparent to Chicago's current crop of proven, veteran infielders, Rojas is soaking it all up as a non-roster invitee. There's no chance he makes the Opening Day roster, but that's not why he's in camp. The Cubs want him to learn from the big-leaguers and get a taste of playing at this level - and the early returns have been promising, albeit in a small sample size.

“One of the goals is to observe,” Rojas said a translator. “Observe a lot of the veterans like [Alex] Bregman, Nico [Hoerner], [Dansby] Swanson. They’re infielders like me, so I feel like I can learn a lot from them just by observing them and what they do.”

A fringe top-100 prospect heading into 2026, Rojas could be the Cubs' next big riser on prospect lists. For now, everyone - the young infielder included - is just enjoying his spring showing as one of the team's best storylines coming out of Arizona.