4 under the radar Cubs prospects to watch in the Spring Breakout Game

The Middle Infielders

Jefferson Rojas SS

Rojas may be the most interesting prospect in the system as we enter the 2024 season. Compared to the rest of the league the Cubs tend to be very conservative when it comes to prospect promotion but Rojas appears to be the exception.

As an 18-year-old he hit .266/.342/.400 with seven homers and 13 stolen bases at multiple levels including full-season ball. There’s a possibility that he’ll start the season in High-A South Bend which would put him on track to make his MLB debut right around his 20th birthday.

There’s obviously a lot of room for change here. Ed Howard warranted the Cubs’ selecting him in the first round as an 18-year-old and since then he’s struggled in the Cubs’ organization (although we’ll get a chance to see him in this showcase as well). That being said, Howard was playing against amateur competition and Rojas has been succeeding against professionals so the sky truly is the limit.

I wouldn’t expect Rojas to start in this game with Murray likely getting the nod at third, Matt Shaw at shortstop, and James Triantos at second base, but he should at least get a couple of at-bats and a couple of innings in the field and it will be many fans’ first opportunity to see him show off his electric toolset. There’s a very real possibility that he is the Cubs’ top prospect going into the 2025 MLB season. 

Bonus Pick for this game in 2025/2026 Fernando Cruz SS

This is a showcase about the future so why not talk about the 17-year-old shortstop the Cubs just chose to invest $4 million dollars in?

There’s a possibility that it takes him a little longer to click than it took Rojas, but if he can get on the same trajectory there’s no reason we couldn’t expect to see him playing in this game in 2025 or 2026.

MLB Pipeline has loved what they’ve seen from Cruz, so much so that they had him ranked as their third-best prospect in the International Free Agency class.

They have him as a better player than recent IFA signings Derniche Valdez and Cristian Hernandez and they believe that he has the power profile to be a future third baseman if he continues to fill in his frame and lose athleticism. 

The last feather in his cap is that his cousin is former Chicago Cubs All-Star shortstop, Starlin Castro. Most fans remember Castro pretty fondly so the idea of a family member of his taking the stage in a showcase like this in a year or two as a top prospect is too juicy to pass up.

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