Ben Cowles #2

Ben was acquired by the Cubs from New York (A.L.) on July 30, 2024 with right-handed pitcher Jack Neely for right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter Jr...In 330 career Minor League games, owns a .268 average (302-for-1,128) with 68 doubles, 10 triples, 30 home runs, 158 RBI and a .790 OPS...Enters the 2025 season ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Cubs' No. 22 prospect...Was added to the Cubs 40-man roster Nov. 19, 2024...Was named the Eastern League Player of the Month for April 2024...Has played in the Arizona Fall League in 2023 and 2024...Was selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2021 draft...Attended the University of Maryland...In 2021, earned Third Team All-American honors from Baseball America, First Team All-Big Ten and ABCA/ Rawlings All-East Region First Team...Graduated from Newark High School in New York, where he played both baseball and basketball.

2024

Ben split the 2024 season between Double-A Somerset in the Yankees system and Double-A Tennessee, setting single-season career marks in doubles (25), RBI (51) and OPS (.829) in a combined 92 games...Began the season in Somerset and was named the Eastern League Player of the Month for April, batting .351 (27-for-77) with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 14 RBI in 21 games...Hit three home runs in a four-game span from April 24-28 and had a five-game RBI streak from April 23-28 (seven total)…Led I-Cubs hitters (min 40 G) in slugging percentage (.514) and OPS (.850)…Tallied a nine-game hitting streak from June 19-28, batting .353 (12-for-34) during the run...Was traded from New York (A.L.) to the Cubs on July 30 with right-handed pitcher Jack Neely for right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter Jr...Was on the injured list from July 26-Sept. 9 with a right wrist fracture...Following the season played in 19 games for Mesa in the Arizona Fall League.

2023

Reached the Triple-A level for the first time in 2023, playing in 106 games for High-A Hudson Valley and three games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre...Combined to hit .253 (97-for-383) with 18 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 41 RBI...the 10 home runs marked a single-season career high...Hit .309 (21-for-68) with an .866 OPS vs. left-handed pitching...Hit safely in 14 of 17 games from Aug. 1-23, batting .352 (19-for-54) during the run...Batted .290 (20-for-69) with four doubles, one triple, four home runs, 15 RBI, a .405 OBP and a .956 OPS in 20 games with Mesa in the Arizona Fall League following the season.

2022

In 2022, combined to hit .272 (82-for-302) with seven home runs and 41 RBI in 93 games between Single-A Tampa (70 games) and High-A Hudson Valley (23 games)...Began the season with Tampa where he hit .289 (65-for-225) with seven home runs and 33 RBI...Spent time on the injured list from April 27-May 11 with a left groin strain...Was promoted to Hudson Valley Aug. 9 where he spent the reminder of the season.

2021

Began his professional career in 2021, batting .250 (26-for-104) with seven doubles, one triple, four home runs and 25 RBI in 36 games with the FCL Yankees (three games) and Tampa (33 games).