3 Cubs prospects to keep an eye on with September call-ups looming

With September approaching, we're nearly ready for the rosters to expand from 26 to 28 players. With that comes some added reinforcements for teams eyeing the postseason via their best available players just outside the 26-man roster. Or, it could mean a chance for teams not heading to the postseason to let their top prospects get some much-needed experience at the highest level.

Patrick Mooney at The Athletic (subscription required) dropped some names that could be call-up-worthy this September, and all make sense for different reasons. However, some are more unlikely than others. Let's discuss three who could be eyeing a roster spot with the Cubs on September 1st.

Caleb Kilian could still prove valuable to the Cubs, despite a rocky start

Caleb Kilian was electric in spring training until an injury derailed most of his season. Now healthy, he is back at Triple-A Iowa, already on the 40-man roster, and one call away from being back on an MLB mound. Kilian owns a 3.04 ERA in 2024 at Triple-A Iowa and has looked good since returning. He can immediately provide a boost to the bullpen given his raw stuff. If Kilian can reach the potential he has always had, he's still capable of being a weapon for the Cubs.

Kilian was the top piece acquired in the Kris Bryant trade, which now feels like many moons ago. He hasn't stuck in the majors, but it looked like he turned a corner before the injury this season. The Cubs don't need to lean on him to be a starter, but he has the velo and stuff to be a late-inning closer when he's on his game. He has my vote to be called in once the calendar flips to September.

A long-shot, but seeing what Matt Shaw could bring would be exciting

Matt Shaw is a candidate, despite limited time at Iowa. I can't wait to see what he can do with the Cubs. However, I'm not leaning on bringing him up right away. He has been hot the last seven days in Triple-A, but this is one guy the Cubs need to make sure receives everyday at-bats for the rest of the season. He's still batting just .234/.357/.383 in Triple-A and probably is not ready to make the jump just yet.

The sky is still the potential for Shaw, who has been fantastic at every level once he's settled in and adjusted. Owen Caissie is a name heavily rumored to be the bat the Cubs call up this September, so although Shaw makes sense from a "let the kids play, he's a top prospect" standpoint, if he's not playing every day, it's a waste in his development.

Let's see what he does in spring training next year and go from there. He has nothing but time to prove himself, and we should expect him up at some point next season.