The Cubs may be giving Josiah Hartshorn one more proving ground before his first minor league season closes out.
Chicago’s No. 1 prospect on MLB Pipeline is expected to move from High-A South Bend to Double-A Knoxville, according to MiLB Central’s Chase Ford. The organization has not announced the promotion yet, but Hartshorn could make his Knoxville Smokies debut as soon as Friday against the Birmingham Barons, the Chicago White Sox’s Double-A affiliate.
The timing makes sense with South Bend already out of the High-A playoffs, and it would give the 19-year-old another step forward before he shifts into offseason prep for 2027. Hartshorn, a switch-hitting slugger, was taken by the Cubs in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of high school roughly 14 months ago.
He’s done nothing but hit since entering the system. Across 122 games this season, Hartshorn has put up a .289 batting average, a .411 on-base percentage, and a .939 OPS with 23 home runs, 110 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.
His year started at Single-A, where he hit .273 in 39 games. After a late-May promotion to High-A South Bend, the production climbed even higher. In 83 games there, Hartshorn posted a .297 average, a .405 on-base percentage, and a .965 OPS while adding 18 homers and 85 RBIs.
Those 110 RBIs rank fourth in the minors this season, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Emil Morales, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Andrew Fischer, and Dodgers prospect Easton Shelton. If the promotion becomes official, Hartshorn will have a few more chances to pad that total before the season ends.
Even if the Double-A stay is short, it could still offer a useful glimpse at where the Cubs expect him to open 2027. For now, the spotlight turns to Knoxville, where fans will get their first look at how the young first baseman and outfielder handles the next level.
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