2026 Iowa Cubs Position Previews: Third Base
Our roster preview series heads to the hot corner today as we take a closer look at a couple of infielders that will be looking for an everyday role in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs in 2026. Once again, it’s worth noting that both the players we’ll feature today could
Our roster preview series heads to the hot corner today as we take a closer look at a couple of infielders that will be looking for an everyday role in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs in 2026. Once again, it’s worth noting that both the players we’ll feature today could very well receive more playing time at another position, though I expect each to receive reps at third on a regular basis.
The hottest topic regarding the Chicago Cubs throughout the 2025 season seemed to be third base. Matt Shaw was the Opening Day starter at the position in Japan but also required a stint in the minor leagues to find his stride offensively. Could you name the second and third most-used third baseman last season? If you said Jon Berti and Vidal Brujan you would be correct. In total, seven players started at least a pair of games at third for the playoff bound Cubs. Of that group, Shaw posted the best batting average with a mark of .226. As the trade deadline approached, many assumed that it was a position that was going to be addressed with Eugenio Suarez considered the ultimate prize. Instead, the Cubs rolled with what they had and Shaw started every postseason game.
The position remained a question mark well into the offseason until Alex Bregman signed a free agent deal with the Cubs. With one of the top players at the position now in the fold, the entire complexion of the position has changed. Shaw is now free to be used wherever Craig Counsell needs him on a given day and Bregman figures to provide a large boost to the middle of the lineup.
In Iowa last season, 10 different players played third base. One of them was Shaw who started 23 games there, Dixon Machado is now a manager in the farm system after starting 36 games and Chase Strumpf, who has retired from baseball, earned 51 starts. In today’s preview we will feature one returning player and one fast-rising prospect who spent last season in Knoxville.
Hayden Cantrelle
The journey in professional baseball for Cantrelle to this point in his career has certainly been winding. First, he was drafted during the shortened COVID selection process in 2020 by Milwaukee. He was traded to Miami early in the 2022 season and then dealt again to the Giants just over a month later. He finally found his way to the Cubs during the Rule 5 draft following the 2023 season. The 27-year-old has split each of the last two seasons between Double-A Knoxville and the I-Cubs. He has played shortstop, third base, and second base with regularity and was consistently in the outfield down the stretch in 2025. A switch-hitter with speed and impressive arm strength, the Louisiana native made some jaw-dropping defensive plays in 2025. With his unique skill set, Cantrelle could play four of five different positions and find himself in three or four different spots in the batting order in any given series. The raw tools are there to get an opportunity in the big leagues if things come together.
Pedro Ramirez
One of the players I am most excited to see in 2026, Ramirez is coming off a Minor League Gold Glove season in Double-A. Only one player at each position wins a Gold Glove each season in the minor leagues. Out of all 120 teams, he was selected as the top defensive third baseman. That is reason enough to be excited, and I haven’t even mentioned the offensive side of things. He hit .280 with 21 doubles and a.732 OPS during his age 21 campaign. He finished top ten in the Southern League in nine different offensive categories and stole 28 bases. The switch-hitting native of Venezuela closed last season as MLB Pipeline’s #7 prospect in the organization and was added to the 40-man roster this winter. An infield featuring top prospects like Ramirez, Jonathon Long and James Triantos should be a fun watch this summer.
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