Slugging Cubs Prospect Josiah Hartshorn Making Mockery of Low-A in Pro Debut
I wonder if Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz was singing Dusty Springfield’s most popular song when he tabbed switch-hitting slugger Josiah Hartshorn with the 181st overall pick in last year’s draft. The preacher’s kid from Orange Lutheran High School agreed to a $2 million bonus that was more than $1.6 million above slot, setting a new record for a sixth-round pick. That told everyone how serious the Cubs were about Hartshorn’s potential, and it’s easy to see why they were bullish.
A left-handed thrower who was up to 94 mph before an elbow issue slowed him down, Hartshorn was drafted purely for his ability at the plate. He actually stopped batting lefty for nearly three years due to that elbow injury, but then a back issue made hitting righty uncomfortable. Despite a little time off, he won the 2024 All-Star Homer Run Derby during the MLB All-Star festivities at Globe Life Park from the left side. Once he showed he was back to full health and hitting from both sides with good pop, the Cubs saw fit to lure him away from Texas A&M with that big bonus.
The evaluators at MLB Pipeline thought highly enough of Hartshorn to rank him No. 7 among the Cubs’ top prospects, though that might be too low. At an even 6 feet and 220 pounds, the outfielder already appears to have filled out physically. His transition to the pros indicates that his approach is at least as advanced as his physical prowess, and he won’t be long for Myrtle Beach if he keeps this up.
Through his first 42 plate appearances, the 19-year-old is batting .367 with an absurd .524 OBP thanks to 10 walks. He’s only hit one homer so far, but he’s added a double and triple to give him a .200 ISO with a .567 slugging percentage. Even accounting for the small sample, it’s pretty impressive to see him doing this while facing pitchers who are roughly 17 months older on average. That might not seem like much, but a year and a half is a whole lot of time when you’re talking about playing baseball for a living.
At the risk of wielding my karmic influence irresponsibly, there seems to be an “IT” factor about Hartshorn that makes Pipeline’s projection of a 2029 debut feel conservative. Then again, we’re talking about eight games into his pro career, so I might just be getting wildly hyperbolic. But can you blame me? Regardless of what happens from here, this young man is putting together a great start to his career and he’s been really fun to watch so far.
