# Chicago Cubs minor league players

Below is a partial list of minor league baseball players in the Chicago Cubs system:

## Players
### Brandon Birdsell

Brandon Lee Birdsell (born March 23, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Birdsell attended Willis High School in Willis, Texas, and played college baseball at Texas A&M University in 2019, San Jacinto College in 2020, and Texas Tech in 2021 and 2022. He appeared in seven games for Texas Tech in 2021 before he underwent rotator cuff surgery, ending his season. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign. In 2022, he started 15 games for Texas Tech and went 9-3 with a 2.75 ERA over 85 innings. After the season, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He signed for $385,000.
Birdsell made his professional debut in 2023 with the South Bend Cubs and was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies in August. Over 24 starts between the two teams, he went 4-8 with a 2.77 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 107+1⁄3 innings. He opened the 2024 season with Tennessee and was promoted to the Iowa Cubs July.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Texas Tech Red Raiders bio

### Burl Carraway

Ausley Burl Carraway (born May 27, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Carraway attended A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas, and played college baseball at Dallas Baptist University. As a junior in 2019, he went 4–2 with a 2.81 ERA and six saves over 41+2⁄3 innings. That summer, he played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, as well as playing collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He pitched 9+1⁄3 innings in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the second round with the 51st overall selection of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. He signed for $1.1 million.
Carraway made his professional debut in 2021 with the South Bend Cubs and was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies at the end of the season. Over 35+2⁄3 relief innings pitched between the two clubs, he went 3–3 with a 5.30 ERA and 54 strikeouts. He opened the 2022 season with Tennessee. Due to injury, he pitched only ten innings in which he gave up 12 runs and 24 walks. He missed all of the 2023 season due to injury.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Dallas Baptist Patriots bio

### Chris Clarke

Christopher Norman Clarke (born May 13, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Clarke attended Newbury Park High School in Newbury Park, California. Clarke attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he played college baseball for the USC Trojans. The Chicago Cubs selected Clarke in the fourth round, with the 132nd overall selection, of the 2019 MLB draft.
On December 7, 2022, the Seattle Mariners selected Clarke from the Cubs in the 2022 Rule 5 draft. Clarke posted a 5.40 ERA in 7 spring appearances for Seattle before he was returned to the Cubs on March 26, 2023.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)

### Christian Franklin

Christian Franklin (born November 30, 1999) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization. He played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Franklin grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, and attended Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri. He batted .361 over his junior and senior seasons with 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
Franklin became the Razorbacks' starting left fielder as a freshman and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team after batting .274 with 41 runs scored, 34 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases. After the season, he played summer baseball for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League. As a sophomore, Franklin batted .381 with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and RBIs in 16 games before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Franklin was named a preseason First Team All-American by Baseball America and by the National College Baseball Writers Association going into his junior year. He was named the SEC Player of the Week on May 3, 2021, after driving in 10 runs in three games against LSU and was a second team All-SEC selection at the end of the regular season. In the opening game of the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament, Franklin had a run-saving catch followed by a home run to spark a come from behind win over NJIT.
Franklin was selected in the 4th round with the 123rd overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs. He signed with the team on July 16, 2021, and received a $425,000 bonus. Franklin was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Cubs to begin his professional career, where he played four games before being promoted to the Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Over 24 games between the two teams, he batted .237 with one home run and eight RBIs.
* Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Arkansas Razorbacks bio

### Kohl Franklin

Kohl Riddle Franklin (born September 9, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Franklin attended Broken Arrow High School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He missed a majority of his senior baseball season in 2018 while nursing a fractured foot. After the season, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round (188th overall) of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Cubs for $540,000, forgoing his college commitment to the University of Oklahoma.
Franklin made his professional debut that year with the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs, compiling a 6.23 ERA over 8+2⁄3 innings. In 2019, he spent a majority of the season with the Eugene Emeralds of the Class A Short Season Northwest League, pitching to a 1–3 record with a 2.31 ERA over ten starts, striking out 49 batters over 39 innings. Near the end of the season, he was promoted to the South Bend Cubs of the Class A Midwest League and pitched in one game for them. Franklin did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He missed all of the 2021 season due to an oblique injury and shoulder strain. He was assigned to South Bend (now members of the High-A Midwest League) for the 2022 season. Over 23 starts, he went 3–7 with a 6.88 ERA, 75 strikeouts, and 41 walks over 69+1⁄3 innings. To open the 2023 season, Franklin returned to South Bend. In mid-May, he was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A Southern League. Over 26 starts between the two teams, Franklin went 4-12 with a 5.40 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 105 innings. He was assigned back to Tennessee to open the 2024 season.
Franklin's father, Jay Franklin, is a baseball agent as well as the president of BBI Sports Group, representing MLB players such as Dylan Bundy, Ian Kinsler, and Archie Bradley. He is also the nephew of former MLB pitcher Ryan Franklin.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)

### Darius Hill

Darius Anthony Hill (born August 17, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization. He played college baseball for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Hill grew up in Dallas, Texas, and attended the Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas.
Hill played college baseball at West Virginia for four seasons. He was named second team All-Big 12 Conference and a freshman All-American after leading the team with 75 hits, 20 doubles, four triples, and 112 total bases. Hill batted .307 with four home runs and 46 RBIs as a sophomore. After the 2017 season, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Hill was again named second team All-Big 12 as a junior after batting .329 and finishing second in the conference with 79 hits. He hit .315 with 6 home runs, 25 doubles, and 41 RBIs and was named second team all-conference for a third time in his senior season.
Hill was selected in the 20th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs. After signing with the team he was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs, where he played eight games before being promoted to the Eugene Emeralds of the Class A Short Season Northwest League. Hill was later promoted to the Single-A South Bend Cubs. Hill was assigned to the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans to start the 2021 season. He had 12 hits in seven games for the Pelicans and was promoted to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. Hill returned to Tennessee to start the 2022 season and batted .308 with 57 hits in 44 games before being promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.
* Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
* West Virginia Mountaineers bio

### Ben Leeper

Benjamin Kyle Leeper (born June 15, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Leeper attended Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas. In 2014, as a junior, he went 11–1 with a 0.90 ERA and 106 strikeouts. He underwent Tommy John surgery during his senior year. After graduating, he enrolled at Oklahoma State University where he played college baseball.
Leeper made two appearances as a freshman in 2016 before an arm injury that required a second Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss all of the 2017 season as well. He returned to play in 2018, pitching 27+2⁄3 innings in which he compiled a 12.69 ERA. In 2019, he moved into the closer role and pitched to a 4–4 record, a 4.31 ERA, and seven saves with 43 strikeouts over 31+1⁄3 innings. That summer, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He made six appearances in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unselected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, he signed with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent.
Leeper made his professional debut in 2021 with the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A South and was promoted to the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A East in early June. He was shut down in mid-August after pitching the most innings he had thrown since his junior year of high school. Over 35 relief innings pitched between the two teams, Leeper went 4–3 with a 1.29 ERA and 53 strikeouts. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training in 2022. He returned to Iowa for the 2022 season. Over 42 relief appearances, he went 3–3 with a 4.50 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 46 innings.
On April 4, 2023, Leeper announced that he had undergone Tommy John surgery for the third time, and would miss the entire 2023 season as a result.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Oklahoma State bio

### Cole Mathis

Greyson Cole Mathis (born July 25, 2003) is an American professional baseball first baseman and third baseman in the Chicago Cubs organization. He played college baseball for the Charleston Cougars.
Mathis grew up in Cataula, Georgia and attended Harris County High School.
Mathis played college baseball for the College of Charleston Cougars as a two-way player. As a sophomore, he slashed .330/.439/.575 with nine home runs while also posting a 5-1 record with a team-best 3.45 ERA over 14 pitching appearances. In 2023, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star. Mathis was named first team All-CAA after batting .335 with 17 doubles, 14 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 63 runs scored during his junior season.
Mathis was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of 2024 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Cubs on July 22 and received a $1,681,200 signing bonus.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Charleston Cougars bio

### Haydn McGeary

Haydn McGeary (born October 19, 1999) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Chicago Cubs organization.
McGeary attended Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Arizona, and played college baseball at Colorado Mesa University. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He was originally going to transfer to the University of Kentucky, but signed with the Cubs.
McGeary made his professional debut with the Arizona Complex League Cubs and was later promoted to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He started 2023 with the South Bend Cubs before being promoted to the Tennessee Smokies.
* Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Colorado Mesa Mavericks bio

### BJ Murray

Bertram Gerard Alfonzo Murray Jr. (born January 5, 2000) is a Bahamian professional baseball third baseman in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Murray played college baseball at Florida Atlantic. He hit .203 in 15 games during his sophomore season before it was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. Murray was named second team All-Conference USA as a junior after batting .317 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs.
Murray was selected in the 15th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs. After signing with the team he was assigned to the Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, where he hit .305 over 39 games before being promoted to the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Midwest League. Murray began the 2023 season with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. He was selected to play in the 2023 All-Star Futures Game.
* Florida Atlantic Owls bio
* Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)

### Connor Noland

Connor Julian Noland (born July 20, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Noland was born in Greenwood, Arkansas and lived there until his family moved to Tampa, Florida when he was five. His family moved again to Reno, Nevada when he was 12. Noland initially attended Bishop Manogue High School and was the starting quarterback on the football team as a freshman. After one semester, he moved back to Greenwood and lived with his grandmother and enrolled at Greenwood High School.
Noland played college baseball and college football at Arkansas. He made one start at quarterback against Tulsa during his freshman season. In baseball, Nolan went 3-5 with a 4.02 ERA over 19 starts. After his freshman year he decided to focus solely on baseball. In 2021, Noland made nine pitching appearances, all in relief, and had a 6.91 ERA. As a senior, he made 19 starts and went 8-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 113 strikeouts.
Noland was selected in the 9th round by the Chicago Cubs in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team on July 23, 2022, and received a $140,000 signing bonus. Noland was assigned to the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Midwest League at the beginning of the 2023 season.
* Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Arkansas Razorbacks baseball bio
* Arkansas Razorbacks football bio

### Reginald Preciado

Reginald Jamel Preciado (born May 16, 2003) is a Panamanian professional baseball shortstop in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Preciado signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in 2019 for a $1.3 million signing bonus. He was then traded to the Cubs along with Zach Davies, Owen Caissie, Ismael Mena, and Yeison Santana for Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini on December 30, 2020.
Preciado was promoted to the Arizona Complex League in the 2021 season, posting a .333/.383/.511/.894 slash line with 3 home runs in 34 games.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)

### James Triantos

James Douglas Triantos (born January 29, 2003) is an American professional baseball second baseman in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Triantos attended and played high school baseball at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. During his senior year, he hit .712 while striking out only twice and also pitched to a 1.18 ERA, leading his team to a Class 6A State Championship. He was reclassified from the 2022 draft class to the 2021 class and was selected in the draft's second round by the Cubs. He signed for $2.1 million, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of North Carolina. He saw limited action with the Cubs' Arizona Complex League team during 2021 and posted a .327/.376/.594/.970 slash line in 25 games.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)

### Cayne Ueckert

Cayne Levi Ueckert (born May 28, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Ueckert attended Jasper High School in Jasper, Texas, where he earned All-District honors as a senior in 2015. After high school, he played two seasons of college baseball at Panola College. After his sophomore year in 2017, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Baseball League. He then transferred to McNeese State University where he went 3–3 with a 6.17 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and 33 walks over 54 innings as a senior in 2019. After the season, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.
Ueckert signed with the Cubs and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs, going 0–1 with a 1.90 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 23+2⁄3 innings. He did not play a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season. He began the 2021 season with the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Central, and was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A South after two appearances. Over 26 relief appearances between the two teams, he went 1–1 with a 1.45 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and 12 walks over 31 innings. He was a non-roster invitee for spring training in 2022. He was assigned to the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A International League to begin the year. Over 39 games (one start), he went 3–1 with a 7.74 ERA, 63 strikeouts, and 52 walks over fifty innings. He was assigned to Tennessee for the 2023 season. Over 36 relief appearances, Ueckert went 4-3 with a 4.58 ERA and fifty strikeouts over 39+1⁄3 innings.
* Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
* McNeese State bio

### Gage Workman

Gage Tater Workman (born October 24, 1999) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Workman attended Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he played baseball. He was originally set to graduate in 2018, but reclassified to the class of 2017. In 2017, he batted .396. Following the season, he was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 14th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign, and instead chose to honor his commitment to play college baseball at Arizona State University.
In 2018, Workman's freshman season, he appeared in fifty games (making 48 starts) in which he batted .276/ .339/.466 with three home runs and 25 RBI. That summer, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Brewster Whitecaps, batting .241/.306/.547. As a sophomore in 2019, he slashed .330/.413/.528 with eight home runs, 42 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 57 games. He earned honorable mention for both the All-Pac-12 team and the All-Pac-12 defensive team. He returned to play in the Cape Cod League for Brewster, batted .266/.321/.370, and was named a league all-star. Over 17 games as a junior in 2020, he batted .250/.316/.471 and compiled three home runs and 14 RBI before the college baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Workman was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round as the 102nd overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, and signed. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the Low-A Southeast. After slashing .256/.357/.426 with three home runs, 19 RBI, 16 doubles, and 22 stolen bases over 51 games, he was promoted to the West Michigan Whitecaps of the High-A Central in early July. Over 67 games with the Whitecaps, Workman batted .237/.302/.440 with nine home runs and 39 RBI. He was assigned to the Erie SeaWolves of the Double-A Eastern League for the 2022 season. Over 128 games, he slashed .225/.276/.415 with 14 home runs, 68 RBI, thirty stolen bases, and thirty doubles. He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Salt River Rafters after the season, and batted .193/.230/.386. He split the 2023 season between Erie and West Michigan, hitting .239/.336/.409 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI over 100 games, playing primarily shortstop.
On December 11, 2024, Workman was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 draft.
Workman's father, Widd, also played baseball at Arizona State and spent four seasons in the minor leagues with the San Diego Padres. Workman is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and chose to skip his mission trip in order to continue playing college baseball without missing a season. He and his wife, Alexa, married in November 2020.
* Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Arizona State Sun Devils bio