Cubs September Call-Ups 2026: The 40-Man Crunch Behind an Easy Decision

SWN Analysis · August 26, 2026

Rosters expand from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1. Stats current as of Aug. 26, 2026.

The Cubs are 76-57 and effectively locked into the National League playoff field. September roster expansion isn’t about auditions for them — it’s about depth for a postseason run, and about which young player benefits most from being in a pennant-race clubhouse.

There is one obvious name. There’s also a roster problem attached to him.

The headline candidate

Owen Ayers, C — Triple-A Iowa

Minor league line: .301/.416/.573 with 24 home runs and 11 stolen bases across 101 games, advancing from High-A to Triple-A this season.

The case: Ayers has gone from a 19th-round pick out of Marshall in 2024 to a Top 100 prospect in two years, and he’s now the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect. MLB.com named him the organization’s most likely September call-up.

The appeal is versatility more than the bat alone. He’s a switch-hitter in a catching room where both major leaguers — Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya — hit right-handed. He can catch, play first base, and handle a corner outfield spot. Iowa manager Marty Pevey has been open about how many positions he can cover. For a team without a clear backup first baseman, that flexibility has real September value.

Playing time projection: Sparse. Kelly and Amaya have both stayed healthy all year, which is a genuine stroke of luck and also the reason there aren’t at-bats available. Realistically one or two starts a week, plus pinch-hit work. The stronger argument is developmental — Ayers learns more about catching in the majors from two veterans during a pennant chase than he does in Triple-A, and with Kelly likely to leave in free agency, Ayers has a real path to the 2027 Opening Day roster.

The complication: He is not on the 40-man roster. Adding him means clearing a spot for a player who doesn’t yet need protecting. That’s the whole debate — the Cubs may prefer to save the spot and keep him at Iowa getting reps, since he’s played only 24 Triple-A games.

The roster math

The position-player picture is tangled independent of Ayers.

Matt Shaw is getting close to returning from injury and may be activated before the Sept. 1 expansion. That move alone requires a corresponding subtraction — either Kevin Alcántara going back to Iowa or Gabriel Arias being designated for assignment, which would be Arias’ third DFA this month.

Alcántara’s own season illustrates the squeeze. The 6-foot-6 outfielder, Chicago’s No. 5 prospect, was called up in May after hitting .242 with 15 home runs and 32 RBI in 41 games at Iowa — at the time tied for the Triple-A home run lead. The power is real. So is the swing-and-miss: 60 strikeouts in 180 plate appearances at Iowa this year, on top of 100-plus strikeout seasons in every minor league campaign since 2022.

The other names worth knowing

B.J. Murray, IF — Triple-A Iowa

Minor league line: .294/.404/.499 across 451 plate appearances.

The case: Quietly one of the better offensive seasons in the system, and a professional bat rather than a project. Lacks Ayers’ positional flexibility and prospect profile, which is why he’s the second name rather than the first.

Playing time projection: Bench and pinch-hit duty if he comes up at all.

Jaxon Wiggins, RHP — Triple-A Iowa

The case: The organization’s top pitching prospect, who recently made his first relief appearance at Iowa — a move that raised eyebrows precisely because relief work is how young starters get fast-tracked into a September bullpen.

Playing time projection: Speculative. Watch whether the relief appearances continue; that’s the tell.

Jordan Wicks, LHP — Triple-A Iowa

The case: The forgotten former first-rounder, recovered and fully stretched out at Iowa. Not a call-up candidate so much as insurance — the arm that gets promoted if a rotation need surfaces.

Why the list is short

The Cubs’ farm system has been ranked near the bottom of the league this year, which is the natural consequence of graduating a core and trading from depth at the deadline. Jed Hoyer’s July additions — Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Braxton Garrett, Ryan Zeferjahn and outfielder Tyrone Taylor — were the reinforcements. September isn’t going to produce another wave.

That’s a reasonable trade for a team whose expectations are set in October rather than 2028. But it does mean the expanded roster is mostly a depth exercise.

The bottom line

Two spots. One is likely a pitcher for bullpen length. The other is the Ayers question, and it comes down to whether the front office values a month of major league exposure for its catcher of the future more than it values keeping a 40-man spot open.

Worth remembering what’s coming after this season: Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and Carson Kelly are all headed for free agency. September isn’t just about this year’s roster.

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