Chicago Cubs Minor League Recap: Owen Caissie and Cade Horton are on fire

Honorable Mentions

We’re going to clump all three of these players together because they are all draft picks from the 2023 MLB Draft. 

Josh Rivera

SS (Double-A Tennessee Smokies)

.417/.462/.833 1 HR, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1/1 SB

The Cubs drafted Rivera in the third round of the 2023 draft and despite the fact that he was a senior they had to go overslot to get him signed, that’s how talented he is. He struggled in 2023 but he may be starting to come around after this hot week. The argument could be made that he’s going to end up at second or third base, but he’s played all 16 of his games at shortstop so far this season in Tennessee so we shall see.  

Jonathon Long

3B (High-A South Bend Cubs)

.563/.611/.875 1 HR, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 4 R, 1/1 SB

Long is a player we loved after the draft, during the 2023 season and today. All the dude does is hit. In 2023 he hit .274/.402/.571 in 26 professional games. This season at High-A, he’s hitting .271/.378/.457 with nine extra-base hits in 19 games. He’s not a third baseman long-term, he’ll end up at first base which will hurt his value, but if the bat continues to be this hot he’ll have a place in the big leagues. 

Alfonsin Rosario

RF (Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans)

.333/.364/.714 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 6 R, 3/3 SB

Rosario may have been the highest upside pick the Cubs made in the 2023 draft outside of first rounder Matt Shaw. He was drafted out of high school in the sixth round and given an over-slot deal in order to sign. In 2023, he played rookie ball and did fine, but he couldn’t find his power in those nine games, with no homers and just one double. This year, in nine games at Low-A Myrtle Beach, he’s got two homers, two doubles, and has stolen three bases. There are shades of early-career Brennen Davis with this one.