2026 Iowa Cubs Position Previews: Center Field
We conclude our position previews this week with a look at the final two outfield spots. As mentioned in last Thursday’s left field conversation, outfielders in Triple-A will rotate positions on a regular basis and the battle for outfield spots in the big leagues very much remains up in the
We conclude our position previews this week with a look at the final two outfield spots. As mentioned in last Thursday’s left field conversation, outfielders in Triple-A will rotate positions on a regular basis and the battle for outfield spots in the big leagues very much remains up in the air. Today we’ll look at some outfielders who could be roaming center field this season for the Iowa Cubs.
This is another spot in Chicago where there are no question marks. With Pete Crow-Armstrong locked in as the regular starter, the Cubs have one of the best defensive playmakers in the game and a bat that can carry a lineup when it’s hot. The key for the 23-year-old is to take his performance from the first half of the 2025 season, which earned him an all-star nod, and stretch it over the course of 162 games. Over the final 62 games of the regular season, he compiled a .216 average and just six home runs, a significant drop off from his 25 home runs over his first 95 games. In the postseason, PCA went 5-27 with 12 strikeouts against the formidable pitching staffs of San Diego and Milwaukee. He’ll get an opportunity to get the juices flowing early this year by playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
It is much less cut and dried behind the starting outfielders. Matt Shaw, a guy we have mentioned a handful of times in discussing other positions, has been working in the outfield in camp. There is also a fascinating battle brewing within the group of Kevin Alcantara, Chas McCormick, Dylan Carlson and the recently signed Michael Conforto for one, or maybe even two, roster spots with the Cubs. The next several weeks will go a long way in sorting out a winner or winners.
For the I-Cubs, 10 different players manned center field throughout the 2025 season with several of them likely to be in Des Moines again. Christian Franklin played the most games there but was traded to Washington at the deadline. Of the likely returners, Alcantara started the most games in center with 49, while James Triantos made 30 starts toward the end of the campaign. Triantos seems likely to continue receiving more time in the outfield grass in 2026. For today’s preview let’s take a closer look at Alcantara, Carlson and Brett Bateman.
Kevin Alcantara
The Jaguar is pretty much a consensus top five prospect in the Cubs farm system entering the campaign and has been firmly entrenched in the organization’s top ten since he was acquired in a 2021 trade with the Yankees. The 6’6 outfielder is oozing with tools and possesses more than enough talent to become an impact player at the game’s highest level. To this point though, he has made just 13 appearances in Chicago with 10 of those coming last season. For a guy that is hitting .278 over the course of his professional career, he remains very streaky at the plate and is susceptible to chasing the breaking ball. He blasted a career-best 17 home runs last season for the I-Cubs but struck out in over 33% of his at-bats. He made some incredible defensive plays but also makes some crucial mistakes at inopportune times. Iowa manager Marty Pevey has often said, “Kevin is the most naturally talented player on the field in almost every game we play.” If all that talent can be harnessed, Alcantra will eventually play a large role in MLB and could even open the season on the big league roster. Even if he is assigned to Iowa to begin the year, I believe he plays in more than a handful of games in Chicago this season.
Dylan Carlson
The Cubs would love nothing more than to unlock something in Carlson after he was once a premier prospect for their rival in St. Louis. The Cubs inked the 27-year-old to a minor league contract in late January and he is now part of the intriguing outfield battle mentioned above. A blue-chip prospect at a young age, the Cardinals selected him 33rd overall in the 2016 MLB Draft out of Elk Grove High School where his father was the coach. He became the Cardinals #1 rated prospect according to MLB Pipeline in 2020 and remained in that spot through the 2021 campaign. Carlson was named the MVP of the Double-A Texas League at the age of 20, also making his Triple-A debut the same season. His six years in the big leagues have never led to the same dominant performance. The signs were there in 2021 when he hit 18 homers and finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year vote. He has hit only 25 MLB home runs since that breakout campaign and has bounced from St. Louis to Tampa Bay and then to Baltimore over the last two seasons. Carlson could help the Cubs out of the gate or find himself waiting in the wings here in Iowa pending his opt-out situation. In 56 games at the Triple-A level, Carlson has hit a ridiculous .340 and has a .444 on-base percentage.
Brett Bateman
The one player on this list who has yet to make his Triple-A debut, Bateman figures to spend a decent amount of time in Iowa in 2026. An eighth-round pick out of Minnesota in 2023, he is currently participating in big league camp and off to a fantastic start. As of this moment, he has four hits in nine at-bats and has worked six walks while striking out just twice. Known for his ability to make contact and speed on the bases, Bateman spent all of 2025 in Double-A Knoxville. He posted a .261 batting average with 11 extra-base hits and 33 RBI. He took 61 walks and struck out 82 times while stealing 19 bases and providing quality defense in center field. I think the duo of Bateman and infielder Pedro Ramirez are going to be fun to watch as they make their first appearances at this level in 2026 after solid seasons in Knoxville a year ago.
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