Cubs Give Prep OF Josiah Hartshorn Largest 6th Round Bonus Ever
The Cubs have reportedly signed 10 of their 20 picks from this summer’s draft, with eight of their top 10 picks signing for at or under their assigned slot value. Only seventh-rounder Pierce Coppolla, a big lefty out of Florida, signed for the exact $278,500 prescribed to pick 211, with every other top-10 pick agreeing to deals that saved the Cubs a little over $2 million in bonus pool money.
That was expected to be the case when the Cubs went heavy on college outfielders and pitchers with their early picks, as they’d be able to use the underslot savings to buy high school picks out of their college commitments. While they have yet to ink a deal with righty Kaleb Wing out of Scott’s Valley High School in California, they made a very big splash with switch-hitting outfielder Josiah Hartshorn.
The preacher’s kid from Orange Lutheran High School, also in Cali, just agreed to a $2 million bonus that is more than $1.6 million above slot for the 181st pick. That is a new record for a sixth-round pick, which tells you how serious the Cubs are about Hartshorn’s potential.
Josiah Hartshorn signs w/@Cubs for $2 million (slot 181 value = $355,800), new @MLBDraft record for 6th rd. California prep OF, switch-hitter w/power & good approach, right-field profile. Texas A&M recruit. pic.twitter.com/cKT7F4n3hL
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 23, 2025
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. Now that he’s 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.
Wing is the only remaining top-10 pick who hasn’t signed, and you have to figure he’ll eat up at least the rest of those savings. That would put him at around a $1 million bonus against a slot value of $623,300, so the Cubs might have to come up with more. That shouldn’t be too difficult since either of their other unsigned draftees are college guys and the last, Caleb Barnett, is planning to honor his commitment to Alabama.
