The Cubs Youth Movement and Its Impact on the 2026 Team

The health of the farm system and its young players forms the backbone of any successful franchise. In Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer’s end-of-season press conference, Hoyer said: “That’s the lifeblood of baseball today. You have to have good young players”. Drafting talented players is one thing, developing them is another.  Successfully developed prospects provide young, controllable players who can blossom into stars or fill out crucial bench roles. Which prospects could provide the 2026 Cubs with much-needed depth, and who is poised to seize a starting role by season's end?

Talented bats who could carve a roll on the bench

James Triantos: The former Top 100 prospect struggled this season dropping his slash line from .302/.352/.384 in 2024 to .259/.315/.370 in 2025. Triantos battled multiple injuries in 2025 but showed flashes of his potential after returning (.263/.325/.394 in his final 42 games), but the Virginia native has fallen off the MLB.com’s top 100 (No.79) and now sits at 10 in the Cubs system. A speedy middle infielder who has logged innings in center field, he brings a Nico Hoerner-esque profile to the table: limited power balanced by exceptional contact ability and baserunning instincts.

With Hoerner under contract for 2026, positioned to win his second Gold Glove, and fresh off his best season as a Cub, there is no clear path for Triantos to earn quality at-bats. But a productive spring training could convince the Cubs to make him part of the Opening Day roster as a bench utility defender and pinch runner.

Kevin Alcantara: The tall, lanky and projectable outfielder has the type of potential to dream on. Alcantara has wiry strength that could materialize into 20 home runs a season, a blend of speed and arm talent that could make him into a plus defender and the speed to steal 30 bases a year. Alcantara didn’t have a bad 2025 in any sense, posting a .818 OPS and 17 home runs in AAA, but like Triantos, Alcantara has had a tough time finding consistent playing time.

A crowded outfield of three-time Gold Glove winner Ian Happ, potential Platinum Glove Pete Crow-Armstrong and proven bats Seiya Suziki and Kyle Tucker have made it hard for Alcantara who has only managed to log 21 at-bats in parts of two seasons. With Kyle Tucker potentially leaving in free agency, playing time could open up. 

Jonathon Long: Since making his minor league debut, the Long Beach State product has done nothing but hit. His impressive slash line of .294/.398/.479 in 280 games has opened a lot of eyes and has brought him to the doorstep of the Majors. The 23-year old first baseman displays above average power and hit tools to go along solid defense and a willingness to use the whole field. But like Alcantara and Triantos, Long is blocked at the big league level.

Cubs first baseman Michael Busch built upon his good 24’ campaign by registering 4.5 bWAR, blasting 34 home runs and becoming the Cubs main leadoff hitter in 25’. While Long is an average defender at first, his ability to play other positions is lacking and profiles as a first-base-only option. However, with the uncertainty surrounding the aging Justin Turner and his mutual option, Long’s performance against left-handed pitching and his years of team control make him the immediate candidate for a left-handed platoon role in 2026.

Potential starters waiting in the wings

Owen Caissie: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Shaw, and Cade Horton have been the Cubs top prospect at some point or another since 2023, but some believed that Owen Caissie had the potential to surpass them and become one of the better prospects in all of baseball. The Canadian was drafted in the second round by the Padres in 2020 and was the main piece in the Yu Darvish trade. Standing at 6’3” and displaying excellent power, Caissie fits the bill for a power hitting corner outfielder. Consistently playing as one of the youngest hitters at every minor league level, Caissie thrived. He was the youngest qualified hitter at AAA in 2024 and smashed 19 home runs as a 21-year old and made his debut at 23 years old.  

While the numbers at the Major League level weren’t what Caissie had hoped for (.192/.222/.346), the power was evident as he popped his first home run at 105.2 mph and rocketed a 114 mph double. With Tucker potentially leaving in free agency, right field is wide open and with Caissie’s power and solid defense, he might be the Cubs starting right fielder come Opening Day in 2026.

Moises Ballesteros: Aggressive promotions have never seemed to deter Ballesteros from being one of the best hitters on any of the teams he’s played on. At only 21 years old, Ballesteros proved that he was too good to be playing at AAA and logged some legitimate time at the big leagues, even hitting clean up for a playoff team this season. The .298/.394/.474 slash line in 20 games is quite impressive regardless of age, but for a 21-year-old to be putting up those kinds of numbers is quite exciting. While Ballesteros is a catcher by trade, his defensive skills behind the plate leave much to be desired; his elite hitting ability, however, guarantees his place in the major leagues. And with Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya holding down the catching position, it is likely that Ballesteros gets most of his at bats as a designated hitter. 

Like Caissie however, Ballesteros’ outlook for 2026 hinges on what the Cubs do about Kyle Tucker. If Tucker leaves, either Seiya Suzuki or Owen Caissie will command right field while the other likely fills in as the DH. But should Tucker stay, then Suzuki will be the primary DH while Caissie’s and Ballesteros’ roles are undefined. Either way, both Caissie and Ballesteros will be a part of the 2026 Cubs, but in what capacity is yet to be determined.

Pitching depth on the way

With the Cubs in need of more pitching, both in the rotation and bullpen, internal options are going to have to play a role in dividing up the roughly 1,500 innings needed by the pitching staff. Jed Hoyer has been adamant that the Cubs will look for pitching depth everywhere, which includes inside the organization. Two arms who could have their name called up to the big leagues are Brandon Birdsell and Will Sanders, the Cubs No. 2 and No.7  arms in the farm system.  

Brandon Birdsell : Before elbow surgery sidelined Birdsell for the season, the right hander looked to be in line to make his debut after logging 30 plus innings across 8 starts and registering a 2.94 ERA. Birdsell has been a workhorse in the minor leagues, racking up 276 innings across 59 games since being drafted. His mid 90’s fastball paired with his curveball, slider and changeup allows him to attack hitters and work deep into games. With limited opportunities in the starting rotation, Birdsell could work effectively as a spot starter, swingman arm in the bullpen.

Will Sanders: Sanders has a similar arsenal to Birdsell, but lacks the high end velocity. Sanders leans on his low-to-mid 90’s heater to get ahead in counts and limit hard contact. After struggling to find control in his first year as a pro, Sanders lowered his walk rate by almost 3% while also improving his HR%. Sanders also has the ability to work long into games. Starting on May 11th, Sanders logged five or more innings 12 consecutive times and gave up just three home runs. Both Birdsell and Sanders project as mid to back end starters, but could provide a lot of value as middle relievers and arms who could start and eat a lot of innings to ease the workload for the starting staff.