After a year hiatus, the Road to Wrigley panel at Cubs Convention returned.

It featured 7 of the Cubs top prospects: catcher Moises Ballesteros, right-handed pitcher Brandon Birdsell, outfielder Owen Caissie, infielder Benjamin Cowles, right-handed pitcher Cade Horton, infielder Matt Shaw, and infielder James Triantos.

Here are 5 things we learned:

Matt Shaw is ready for his MLB debut 

Matt Shaw playing third base on Opening Day in Japan for the Cubs is growing in likelihood. Carter Hawkins said he expected Shaw to do everything he can to win the job and an Alex Bregman addition feels more like an outside possibility as Cubs pitchers and catchers report in under 3 weeks.

[How Matt Shaw, Cubs are viewing third base opportunity this spring]

“I’ve thought about debuting a little bit,” Shaw said during Saturday’s Road to Wrigley panel. “Obviously, there are nerves around playing in the major leagues, but nothing different than the nerves that are in every baseball game.”

Shaw started 63 games at third base between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa last year. Mike Scioscia, Team USA’s Premiere12 manager, praised Shaw as the team’s best defensive player during the offseason international tournament.

The Cubs selected Gage Workman in the Rule 5 draft and acquired Vidal Brujan from the Marlins for first baseman Matt Mervis this offseason. Those two – alongside Shaw – are the most likely candidates to see time at the hot corner this season. All signs point to Shaw receiving the majority of playing time.

Cade Horton is healthy

Horton pitched just 34.1 innings last season due to a grade 2 subscapular strain. He has been on a normal throwing program this offseason and has already thrown off a mound. He is still the consensus No. 1 pitching prospect in the organization and a Top 100 prospect per MLB Pipeline. The Cubs 1st-round pick from 2023’s First-Year Player Draft is poised for a bounceback season in 2025.

Marquee Sports Network’s Tim Stebbins has more on Cade Horton here. 

Moises Ballesteros could stick behind the plate

Moises Ballesteros’ bat is ready for the majors. The question over the last few seasons has been his defensive position. He started 70 games at catcher between Double-A and Triple-A last season, adding another 12 in the Arizona Fall League. He DH’d in 42 games and played first in another 8.

His value as a prospect would increase dramatically if he could catch at an MLB-average level in 80 games. This is because the offensive bar to clear as a catcher is much lower than that of a first baseman or designated hitter. The average designated hitter last year had, on average, an OBP 19 points higher and a slugging percentage 42 points higher than the average catcher.

“When I got to Triple-A, I got new pitchers, new experience in Triple-A, veteran guys,” Ballesteros said. “So that’s helped me behind the plate.”

It’s obvious from Ballesteros’ physical appearance that he’s been working on his body over the last few seasons. The sky is the limit for the 21-year-old Venezuelan. 

Matt Shaw Shares his favorite moment of 2025

“I think we were in St. Paul or Toledo and James [Triantos] hit a ball to the wall. He absolutely smoked it,” Shaw said. “He was rounding second, and he really wanted to get to third. He tripped up over himself and did like a triple roll.”

“To preface that, we had a little bet this year for triples, RBIs, and steals,” Shaw said. “He absolutely kicked my butt in steals and in triples, and of course I lost the bet.”

“I remember hitting the ball, and seeing it in the gap, putting my head down and saying, ‘I’m running to third no matter what,” Triantos said. “And then my feet weren’t under me after second base. And then I was on my back.”

Owen Caissie has words of advice for young players

“Be where your feet are.”

It’s a phrase Caissie paraphrased to the Cubs Convention crowd Saturday and one Pete Crow-Armstrong had embroidered on his glove during the spring of his first year with the Cubs.

Caissie hit 19 home runs in 2024 at Triple-A, driving in 75 runs and stealing 11 bases over 127 games. He is expected to make his major league debut sometime in 2025.

“I don’t try to get to ahead of myself,” Caissie said, “take it day by day, go out there, be a ballplayer and try to contribute in any way possible.”