Cubs prospect with a Cardinals legacy is turning heads at the perfect moment

The McGwire name was synonymous with bad news for Chicago Cubs fans, as Mark McGwire was a power-hitting juggernaut in the St. Louis Cardinals lineup for decades. But now, McGwire's son, Mason, is emerging as a potential breakout candidate after his recent outing in Single-A.

The Cubs drafted Mason McGwire in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB draft, and the 22-year-old's performance has been lackluster in his initial seasons. The righty logged 41 innings with a 5.71 ERA and a suspect 30/34 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2024. McGwire also missed the entire 2025 campaign because of injury.

But McGwire is back with a vengeance this year, and he is looking sharp through his first four appearances for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Two of those appearances were scoreless, multi-inning outings out of the bullpen. On Sunday, McGwire made his first start of the year versus the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (the White Sox Low-A affiliate), where he fired four shutout innings with just one hit and five strikeouts.

Mason McGwire is heating up at the right time

Although McGwire still has a long road to the majors, it would be phenomenal for the organization if he continues to dominate. The Cubs' top 30 prospect list is starved of high-end pitching talent aside from Jaxon Wiggins, who is currently the only top-100 prospect in the organization. And Wiggins is dealing with an elbow issue that landed him on the injured list, joining most of the Cubs' bullpen, Matthew Boyd, and Cade Horton.

McGwire won't be in a position to help with the big-league roster this year, but the Cubs need a few late-round draft picks like him to breakout and make their way through the minor-league system. Those diamonds in the rough are invaluable to any franchise, but the Cubs' system is particularly drained of top arms right now, making McGwire a guy to keep an eye on as the 2026 season unfolds.

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