Mired in the midst of a six-game losing streak, the Chicago Cubs are shaking things up with a youth movement, calling up two of their top prospects. The Cubs No. 2 prospect, infielder Pedro Ramirez, was called up on Friday, while their No. 5 prospect, outfielder Kevin Alcantara, received his call-up on Saturday. These guys have been red-hot in the minors this season, and the Cubs’ struggling offense is looking for a shot in the arm.

Ramirez burst on the scene

Ramirez caught the Cubs’ eye with his play throughout Spring Training. Since then, he has continued to perform at a high-level. In 43 games in Triple-A, the 22-year-old has posted a .312/.395/.547 slash line. Prior to the 2026 season, Ramirez was not known for having the pop in his bat, but he has hit nine home runs on the year to go along with 11 doubles and 40 RBIs. The infielder can play multiple positions in the infield and has also been taking reps in the outfield to add to his positional versatility.

When the Cubs’ super-utility man Matt Shaw was announced as the corresponding move to the 10-day IL with back tightness, the move certainly made sense, given Ramirez’s versatility. Ramirez could fill in at nearly any position to give someone a breather, or manager Craig Counsell can find at-bats for him in a pinch, exploiting matchups with opposing pitchers as he is a switch-hitter.

Alcantara has been here before

There is an argument to be made that Alcantara should have been called up much sooner, but we again run into the issue of where and how often he would play. With the Cubs currently slumping and needing a boost offensively, now makes as much sense as ever. At the time of his call-up, Alcantara was tied for the most home runs in Triple-A with 15. With that, he’s added six doubles and 32 RBIs.

While that is good, what also probably delayed his arrival is his plate discipline and strikeout rate. The 23-year-old has struck out 60 times already in 180 plate appearances, which comes out to a 33.3% strikeout rate. On the season, the outfielder has posted a slash line of .242/.339/.567.

Alcantara has gotten his shots in the major leagues the last two seasons, but he saw minimal opportunities due to the logjam in the outfield. Over those two years, in 13 games, Alcantara has five hits and one RBI while posting a .238/.273/.238 slash line. At the big-league level, he has struck out five times in his 22 plate appearances. This time around, he will hopefully get more chances to prove himself and show what he can do on the field.