The Chicago Cubs had quite a few players participating in the 2025 Arizona Fall League (AFL), which recently wrapped up its season. Playing in the highly competitive environment was 3B Cole Mathis (2024 second round pick), C Owen Ayers (2024 19th round pick), SS Ed Howard (2020 1st round pick), C Logan Poteet (2025 17th round pick), RHP Thomas Mangus (2025 18th round pick), RHP Luis Martinez-Gomez (2023 10th round pick), RHP Koen Moreno (2020 10th round pick), RHP Mathew Peters (2022 12th round pick), and J.P. Wheat (2022 16th round pick).

Among this group, it was Ayers’s performance who stood out the most. The switch-hitting catcher slashed .379/.539/.591 with 22 walks and just 10 strikeouts in 20 games. This earned him the prestigious honor of AFL Breakout Player of the Year

Cubs catching prospect Owen Ayers demolishes a pull-side bomb here. 105 MPH off the bat and 422 ft. Ayers has been a standout this fall at both the plate and behind the dish. #PLiveAFL @ProspectsLive pic.twitter.com/bNcbDDhhFS

— Jacob_Maxwell (@Jacob_Maxwell14) October 15, 2025

Chicago Cubs 24 year old prospect Owen Ayers wins 2025 AFL Breakout Player of the Year award

Chicago Cubs, Cubs News, Cubs Prospects, Owen Ayers — Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Owen Ayers during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After missing several months of the 2025 season with a broken hand, Ayers rebounded impressively with a strong showing in the AFL. Though he doesn’t appear on the Cubs’ top 30 prospect list, this prestigious award is nothing to overlook, past winners like Oliver Dunn (2023) and Caleb Durbin (2024) went on to make their MLB debuts the very next season.

While a jump from A-ball to the majors isn’t realistic for Ayers in 2026, the track record of previous winners shows that this honor carries real significance. Ideally, he can build on his AFL success, use the experience as momentum, and turn it into a productive 2026 campaign after a season limited to just 65 games.

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