Cubs promote top prospect Josiah Hartshorn, raising possibility of 2027 MLB debut

At this point in the season, few are paying close attention to the farm system - and I can't say I blame folks. The Chicago Cubs are doing their best vanishing act in September and will have to finish the season strong to avoid an all-time collapse. Keeping tabs on that is a full-time gig right now.

But if you are a big prospect lover, then this is for you. The Cubs promoted top prospect Josiah Hartshorn to Double-A this week, giving the consensus top-50 talent his latest opportunity in what's been a truly impressive 2026 season.

The young outfielder has torched pitching at A and High-A in his first full professional season, slashing .289/.411/.528 in nearly 550 plate appearances. Hartshorn represented the Cubs at this summer's Futures Game and has 23 home runs, 26 doubles and 110 RBI on the year. He's doing things we haven't seen a Cubs prospect do in decades - and, with good reason, the hype is on the rise.

Chicago faces big-time uncertainty in the outfield moving forward, with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki both ticketed for free agency at year's end. Hartshorn will almost certainly open the 2027 season at Double-A, but if he keeps up this torrid pace, it's not totally out of the question that we see him at Wrigley Field some point next summer.

I don't know about you, but the idea of likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong taking Hartshorn under his wing in the years to come feels pretty special.

Josiah Hartshorn will be joined in Double-A by Cubs prospect Angel Cepeda

That's right. Hartshorn won't be alone in making the jump to Double-A Knoxville. Infield prospect and MLB Pipeline's #24 organizational prospect Angel Cepeda also earned a promotion at the conclusion of South Bend's season.

Cepeda, just 20, returned from an early-season injury and closed out the year on an absolute heater, despite being more than two years younger than the average player at that level. He finished with an OPS north of .800 and, over the past month, really hit his stride (.307/.415/.636) - so I suspect we'll see him make a big jump in the rankings lists this fall.

There's a big competition jump once you get to Double-A and Triple-A, but Hartshorn and Cepeda have nothing left to prove in the lower levels. One thing is for sure: heading into 2027, these are two must-watch Cubs prospects to keep an eye on.

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