It’s that time of year when teams unveil their Major League Spring Training rosters. All 40-man players (including prospects like James Triantos, Pedro Ramirez, and Riley Martin) will be in big league camp, working daily with the Cubs’ coaching staff and appearing in major league games. But every spring, a select group of non-roster players gets the same opportunity despite not being on the 40-man.

This year, the Cubs’ non-roster invitee group is 18 players deep, bolstered by several veteran signings over the offseason. Today, though, the focus is on the ten prospects who earned invitations of their own.

While the veterans are competing for spots on the Opening Day roster, these prospects are here for something different: exposure, experience, and a chance to get in front of the major league staff. For many of them, this is the first real opportunity to show fans how close they are to helping at Wrigley. For every single one of them, it’s an opportunity to show the organization that they can help in Chicago this season.

RHP Grant Kipp

Kipp enters camp with lots of questions about his 2026 role. The former undrafted free agent out of Yale could start in either Iowa or Knoxville in a starter, multi-inning reliever, or single-inning reliever role. Kipp had a breakout of sorts a year ago, flashing obscene amounts of spin on his breaking balls and a heater in the low-to-mid-90s. Those spin rates helped him rack up a 16.1% swinging strike rate in his first seven outings of ‘25 but what followed was just a 10.6% swinging strike rate from that point forward. I’m sure the Ivy Leaguer will take full advantage of this camp assignment to learn more from guys like Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd.

RHP Connor Noland

Noland brings a competitive edge and a deep pitch mix that has steadily improved since his Arkansas days. As it sits right now, Noland is probably the tenth starting pitcher on the org’s depth chart, a role that seems distant but is pretty critical to the health of a big league team. He profiles as the kind of strike-throwing, durable arm who can help a big-league staff in multiple roles, and this camp gives him a chance to show how close he is.

RHP Connor Schultz

Schultz saw his 2025 campaign go extremely under the radar, in part because he was a 2024 minor league signing out of Indy Ball and has been tabbed as an “org guy” by many. What he did a year ago was post one of the best K-BB ratios in the system over the course of 89.1 innings split between the bullpen and rotation in South Bend and Knoxville. This invite gives him the opportunity to firmly plant himself as pitching depth in the upper minors both for this year and future seasons.

RHP Jaxon Wiggins

Wiggins is my number one prospect in the organization and head and shoulders above the next best pitcher. His stuff is very clearly Major League ready, with a 100 MPH fastball, a nasty slider, real solid changeup, and developing curveball. This experience alongside veterans will be the single most valuable lesson Wiggins learns in his career up to this point. He is trending perfectly in line with a first half of the season in Iowa to prove his breakout last year wasn’t a fluke, a promotion to Chicago midseason, and domination the entire time. He’s the kind of arm who can turn heads quickly in a camp setting simply because the tools jump off the field, and hearing the coaching staff and his rotation mates field questions about him will be entertaining in itself.

C Ariel Armas

Drafted as part of the 2024 class, Armas has spent just one full season in the Cubs org but is already set to begin this season in the upper minors. Behind the dish, he controls the running game incredibly well, featuring a strong arm but, more importantly, a laser-accurate arm. He has a rapidly improving offensive game, finishing 2025 with arguably the system’s strongest last month. For the Cubs, this spring is about giving him exposure to big-league arms and accelerating his development behind the plate.

C Casey Opitz

Opitz is a defense-first catcher whose leadership and game-calling have earned him strong reviews at every stop. He’s a steadying presence for pitchers, with soft hands, advanced framing instincts, and a quick release that keeps runners honest. The bat is… not good… but he is the exact type of catcher that an organization trusts handling their most important arms in bullpen sessions in spring.

1B Jonathon Long

You know the drill with the heavily-discussed Jonny Long. He is one of the 15 best hitters in this organization and will be just one call away from Chicago starting day one. This camp gives him a chance to continue to test his progress against higher-level arms and show whether his power can tick up.

1B/3B BJ Murray Jr

Murray is one of the more advanced bats in the system, a switch-hitter with on-base skills, sneaky pop, and a knack for grinding out quality at-bats. Big-league camp is an ideal setting for him to showcase that mature offensive profile before carving out consistent playing time in Iowa this season.

SS Jefferson Rojas

Rojas is the name that stands out the most of this group. He’s already shown the ability to impact the baseball and handle shortstop at a high level, often levels he’s far too young for. The Cubs clearly view him as mature beyond his years as they got him in plenty of Spring Training action back in 2024 as a teen. This invitation is less about immediate readiness and more about accelerating a trajectory that already looks special. He’ll start the year in Double-A.

OF Brett Bateman

Bateman is a throwback-style center fielder who brings elite contact skills, plus speed, and standout defense. His ability to control the zone and put the ball in play makes him a disruptive presence at the top of a lineup. He’s the type of player who can make a strong impression in camp simply by doing all the little things well. There’s a real good shot he’s the everyday centerfielder in Iowa this year, which means he’s not too far off from Chicago.