Cubs may already have their next homegrown Silver Slugger rising through the system

Look, it would be rather easy for me to just type the name "Josiah Hartshorn" and call it a day. His meteoric rise through the Chicago Cubs' farm system has been nothing short of historic this year, and he's deservedly become the top prospect in the organization just a year after being drafted in the sixth round.

But, in the spirit of giving other guys a chance, let's pretend for a moment that Hartshorn isn't the most obvious future Silver Slugger marching his way through the Cubs' minor-league system. Instead, let's shift our focus to another member of that impressive 2025 draft class.

Kane Kepley went a few rounds before Hartshorn, falling just outside the top 50 overall before the North Siders scooped him up out of UNC. Since then, he's done nothing but mash, posting a .914 OPS in his brief professional debut last year and following that up with a 130 wRC+ in 2026.

Though he lacks the prodigious power and run-producing capabilities that have fueled Hartshorn's rise, Kepley has as high of a floor as any prospect in the organization and should only get better the closer he gets to the majors.

Kane Kepley will stand out from the crowd by playing his own brand of baseball

This is going to sound sacrilegous, but I think one of the best prospect comparisons you can give to Kepley is actually Pete Crow-Armstrong. Not 2026 PCA, mind you -- that's a whole different animal -- but instead the top prospect version of the center fielder now storming his way to an MVP award.

Back before he was the face of the franchise, Crow-Armstrong made his living in a very familiar way: by swiping a ton of bags and playing elite outfield defense. For reference, his first taste of Double-A yielded a 135 wRC+, which is pretty darn close to Kepley's mark of 127.

What's different is how they go about getting their numbers; whereas Crow-Armstrong always had more power potential and fluctuated between homer binges and strikeout-prone slumps, Kepley is far more consistent. He's gotten on base at a ridiculous 43% clip this year, walking far more frequently than he punches out. That's valuable on its own, but combine it with his base-stealing ability -- he's up to 66 in 121 games this year -- and Kepley is able to get himself in scoring position as often as anyone you'll find in the minors. He may not be able to manufacture runs at the same rate as someone like PCA or Hartshorn, but he can certainly set the guys up behind him to drive him in.

Of course, speed only counts for so much in Silver Slugger races (and defense doesn't at all), but those skills give Kepley a pathway to tons of playing time. Opportunity is key to putting up big numbers, and he'll never have to hit much more than the 10 homers he's managed this season if he keeps getting on base and swiping bags at this rate.

Eventually playing alongside Crow-Armstrong could diminish his standing with voters, but it should help us appreciate Kepley's game even more. The MLB leader in runs scored this year is the former with 110 in 147 games. Meanwhile, the latter has 125 in 121 games in the minors. Whether you're the one driving them in or crossing home plate, putting heaps of runs on the board is a great way to stand out from the crowd.

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