A breakout performance in Arizona has turned a little-known 19th-rounder Owens Ayers into a name Cubs fans should watch in 2026.
Owens Ayers was a 19th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Marshall University — hardly the profile of a fast-tracking, high-ceiling prospect.
Ayers transferred to Marshall after beginning his career at State College of Florida, and while he was a productive Division-I player, he was never the type to overwhelm scouts. His first full pro season in 2025 reflected that. Ayers was already behind the developmental curve — he turned 24 in June — and spent the entire year at Low-A, where he was 3.6 years older than league average.
In college he split time between catcher and the outfield, but played more frequently in the outfield, leaving big questions about whether he could truly stick behind the plate. The Cubs development staff went to work, tightening up his catching mechanics and getting him more comfortable defensively. Once that happened, his offense started to come alive too.
Ayers finished his 2025 season with 14 doubles, five triples, and a .761 OPS. Solid numbers for a catcher — less impressive for someone his age at that level. But the context matters. He was finally heating up before a broken hand ended his season prematurely. So the Cubs did what smart organizations do: once he finished rehabbing, they sent him to the Arizona Fall League for an extended development runway.
And that’s where everything clicked.
Playing for the Mesa Solar Sox, Ayers made a real name for himself. The former 19th-rounder was named AFL Breakout Player of the Year by MLB.com after slashing .379/.539/.591 with five doubles and three home runs in 20 games. His 1.130 OPS ranked seventh in the entire league.
Ayers is still a long way from Wrigley, and there’s plenty of development left. But he’s officially on the radar now. Given how well he handled strong AFL competition, the Cubs could open him at High-A — or even push him to Double-A — in 2026 and take an aggressive approach with his path.
The catching picture at the big-league level is crowded at the moment, with Carson Kelly, Miguel Amaya, Moisés Ballesteros, and Reese McGuire all on the 40-man roster. But outside of Ballesteros — whose long-term future behind the plate is still a question — the Cubs don’t have a true catching prospect in their current top 30.
That opens a door. If Ayers continues to hit and continues to develop defensively, he could play himself into a real organizational role over the next year.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But being named Breakout Player of the Year in the AFL is one hell of a place to start. Cubs fans should keep Owens Ayers circled as a name to watch in 2026.