Cubs Prospect Josiah Hartshorn A Big Riser in Baseball America’s Update

There are very few prospects who have risen up rankings as high as Josiah Hartshorn this season. 

The Chicago Cubs prospect has made a strong first impression in his first professional season. After being selected in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft, Hartshorn has taken the league by storm. 

Hartshorn began his professional career with the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He slashed .273/.424/.460 with five home runs, nine doubles, one triple, 25 RBI, and four stolen bases across his first 39 games at that level. 

Those strong all-around numbers resulted in the Cubs promoting the switch-hitting outfielder to High-A in late May. While there is usually an adjustment period for young prospects between levels, that wasn’t the case for Hartshorn with the South Bend Cubs. 

The 19-year-old is currently slashing .293/.367/.586 with nine home runs, five doubles, one triple, 35 RBI, and four stolen bases across 32 games at the High-A level. He has a hit in 22 of those 32 contests and has put up elite metrics in the process. 

Hartshorn ranks in the 86th percentile in wOBA (.407), 83rd percentile in wOBACON (.481), 83rd percentile in wRC+ (129), 95th percentile in ISO (.293), 75th percentile in pull air rate (22.7%), 75th percentile in zone-contact rate (86.1%), and 82nd percentile in chase rate (22.7%). 

It has been a really impressive start to Hartshorn's professional career. He went from Single-A to High-A in less than two months and hasn’t stopped tearing the cover off the ball with the South Bend Cubs. 

There’s simply no stopping the 19-year-old at the plate right now. That’s why he continues to trend up prospect rankings at this point in the season.  

Hartshorn was one of the biggest risers in MLB Pipeline’s midseason update. He went from No. 99 overall to No. 80 overall in that update and is now the Cubs’ No. 3 overall prospect. Jefferson Rojas (No. 68) and Pedro Ramirez (No. 75) are the only other two prospects ranked higher in the organization. 

In Baseball America’s July update, Hartshorn rose all the way up to the No. 29 spot. This is obviously a big rise for the young outfielder after being unranked on all top-100 lists entering the season. He is now the Cubs’ top prospect on that site. 

Hartshorn has become one of the most exciting prospects in the Cubs’ organization and in all of baseball. He has a combined .282 batting average with 14 home runs, 60 RBI, and eight stolen bases in his first Minor League season. 

The Cubs’ top prospect was also named to this year's MLB All-Star Futures Game, a seven-inning showcase between the top prospects in baseball.  

Hartshorn is quickly making a name for himself down in the minors. He is already being recognized as a top prospect and could find himself promoted to Double-A as a 19-year-old later this summer.