SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — What appeared to be the end of a disappointing season has transformed into a revival for Owen Ayers.
After breaking his right hand with five weeks left in Class-A Myrtle Beach’s season and relegated to rehabbing in the lonely, oppressive heat of Mesa, Arizona, Ayers is enjoying a rebirth in the Arizona Fall League.
Ayers, a 19th-round pick of the Cubs in the 2024 amateur draft, seized attention with his strong arm and high rate of throwing out base stealers. And he has shown no effects of hand soreness at the plate, as evidenced by his 1.264 OPS in 12 games with the Mesa Solar Sox.
“I have confidence in myself, but playing with a lot of guys who have been in the bigs or Double- or Triple-A has showed me even more that I can play at this level,” Ayers said. “It’s been a good challenge, but so has the success.”
Moises Ballesteros, a 2024 AFL alumnus, batted .298 with an .868 OPS in 57 at-bats covering three stints with the Cubs in 2025. But Ballesteros didn’t catch until the final game of the regular season and could be relegated to designated-hitter duty as a major leaguer.
Meanwhile, the 6-2, 185-pound Ayers has yet to play above Class A, but his defensive prowess could help his advancement — provided his offense continues to improve.
At Myrtle Beach, Ayers was successful in nailing would-be base stealers on 30% of their attempts (42 of 140). He threw out two runners in an AFL game on Oct. 21, with his throws clocked at 81.2 and 81.4 mph, respectively, and reaching second base in under 1.87 seconds, according to Hawk-Eye.
Ayers learned to catch as a youth, but never moved there full-time until transferring from State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota to Marshall University.
“It’s a challenge sometimes learning these new pitchers that you’ve never caught before, so just learning them in the game has been a little bit of a struggle,” Ayers said. “But it’s also a good little challenge, because there’s going to be times that that happens in the future.”
Ayers was assigned to the AFL to make up for the time he lost at the end of his 2025 season, as well as to challenge him against tougher competition while having access to the Cubs’ training facilities in Mesa, according to Jason Kanzler, the team’s director of player development.
“We believe he still has a lot more room to grow,” Kanzler said. “He is a great athlete, and we think that raises his defensive ceiling substantially.”
The experience of running games and learning new pitchers on short to no advance notice also will benefit Ayers.
“The AFL is a crash course in developing rapport with pitchers he doesn’t have long relationships with — something he will need to be able to do in the major leagues,” Kanzler wrote in an email.
Ayers’ support system at Mesa includes coach Nick Lovullo, the Cubs’ Class-A South Bend manager to whom Ayers could be assigned to start the 2026 season.
Ayers is currently more satisfied with his defense than his offense in the AFL, even as he’s in the midst of a 6-for-7 performance with four walks and a stolen base that has raised his batting average to .425.
He is determined to continue switch-hitting even though he has fared better from the left side. He yanked a double last Sunday against 6-6 left-hander Nick Bennett, the
Nationals’ No. 10 prospect according to MLB.com.
“That’s a big focus for me this offseason and even right now in my training,” said Ayers, who batted .178 with a .533 OPS in 45 at-bats against left-handers, compared to a .253 mark with an .816 OPS in 186 at-bats against right-handers. “Because I know there’s a lot of potential there. It’s hard enough to master one side, so just by getting reps and more work at that side, I think it’s just something that’s going to take time and grow,. But eventually it’s going to get there.”
Kanzler emphasized the Cubs will continue to be patient with Ayers’ right-handed hitting development.
To this point, patience has paid off for Ayers, who didn’t have any scholarship offers out of Sarasota High School. He enrolled at State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota and continued to play mostly the outfield but relished the exposure that eventually enabled him to transfer to Marshall after his sophomore year.
In the world of NIL, Ayers believes the junior-college route serves a great benefit to those who aren’t assured of playing time as freshmen at the Division I level.
“I noticed that the junior-college level was no joke, and there was plenty of guys who got drafted out of junior colleges, and it’s a great experience to get your feet wet in college baseball,” Ayers said. “And I think more people should take that route, because it helps you develop mentally and physically.”
Marshall coaches noticed Ayers’ strong arm and allowed him to catch exclusively. Ayers broke the school record he set for doubles by hitting 25 in 2025.
After a slow start, Ayers was starting to hit with more consistency until injuring his hand.
That left him relegated to waiting for the stitches to be removed before embarking on a rehab program at the Cubs’ complex that is usually reserved for injured players in the late summer months.
But Desi Wilson the Cubs’ rehab hitting coordinator, helped Ayers rebound in time for the AFL.
“He’s awesome,” Ayers said. “He helps simplify things. Sometimes it’s very easy to get caught in a lot of numbers and things that go on with baseball. It’s not a super long Fall League season.
“It was a matter of focusing on my strengths. He helped me clear my mind, focus on every single rep and trust what I do well. A big part of it is detail process and not looking for results too early and let things happen the way they’re supposed to.”0