MESA, Ariz. — Friday marks the next, big calendar date on the Cubs’ schedule: the first full-squad workout.

The Cubs will gather fully as a team and ramp up their preparation ahead of Opening Day in Japan. They will have 60 players in camp and will have to trim it down to 26 by March 18, when they play the Dodgers.

Of that 60 group are over a dozen prospects with little to no major-league playing time that will be using this opportunity to either fight for a roster spot or learn from veterans and the major-league coaching staff.

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Let’s look at four prospects to keep an eye on this spring:

Matt Shaw, INF

This was the biggest no-brainer of the list of youngsters invited to big-league camp. The 2023 1st-round pick has raked in the minor leagues since becoming a professional.

In 159 games (693 plates appearances) Shaw has hit .303 with 29 home runs, 99 RBI, 46 stolen bases and a .906 OPS. That offensive prowess, coupled with an opening at the hot corner has given him the inside track to be the team’s Opening Day third baseman.

“It’s time for Matt to go out and play,” manager Craig Counsell said earlier this week. “Matt’s passed a lot of tests. He’s a talented young player. The message is, Matt’s got a shot at it. There’s no question about it. He’s squarely in the mix. He is going to get the first shot at it.”

His progress will be worth monitoring over the next few weeks. The Cubs won’t solely look at Cactus League box scores, but they’ll take the totality of the spring — how he’s performing in workouts, how his defense is improving (he didn’t really start manning the hot corner until he became a pro) and then in-game performances.

A solid spring could see him taking the field against the Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome next month.

Kevin Alcántara, OF

The 22-year-old is the only one on this list with major-league service time — he appeared in 3 games at the end of last year and was 1-for-10 in the small sample.

Like Shaw, Alcántara has thrived at the plate at the minor-league level. In 400 games across 5 seasons, he’s hit .281 with an .803 OPS, 48 home runs, 78 doubles and 53 stolen bases. The 6-foot, 6-inch righty, who was acquired in the Anthony Rizzo deal, also is a strong defender.

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Hoyer referenced this offseason the luxury of having a deep pool of prospects knocking on the major-league door. If a position player goes down, there’s a top-100 prospect ready to take their place. Alcántara might be the first man up in that situation.

He could a very solid defender in center field, but because of Pete Crow-Armstrong patrolling the pasture for the Cubs at the big-league level, might have to be relegated to the corner outfield spots.

It’s hard to see a clear path to playing time for him in 2024, but if injury arises to one of the Cubs’ outfielders, Alcántara could be the first call up to take over. He should see plenty of action this spring and could be patrolling center field as the Cubs look to give players reps.

Gage Workman, INF

Workman was selected by the Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft in December and thus must remain on the 26-man roster all season or be offered back to his original club, Detroit.

Workman spent the 2024 campaign at Double-A, where he clubbed 18 home runs with a .280/.366/.476 (.842 OPS) slash line, 30 stolen bases and 89 RBI. He’s primarily played the left side of the infield (although he does have 13 games at second base and 8 in right field) in his pro career.

On paper, the left-handed hitting infielder provides something that would benefit the team — a different look. Shaw, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Jon Berti are all right-handed hitting infielders. Workman would give Craig Counsell a different look in his infield and allow one of the others a day to rest, too.

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As it stands, Workman would have to be on the Opening Day roster — but it isn’t a guarantee, either. Their last Rule 5 selection, Gray Fenter in 2020, was returned to the Tigers before the 2021 season and never appeared in a game. Their last three Rule 5 picks never appeared in a major league game the year after they were drafted.

In 2019, righty Trevor Megill was selected from San Diego and the two sides worked out a deal for Megill to stay with Chicago and he spent the 2020 campaign at the alternate site. In 2014 they selected infielder Taylor Featherston from Colorado and then traded him to Anaheim for cash.

The Cubs will take a long look at Workman this spring and determine whether they feel he’s ready for the a spot on the big-league bench or not.

James Triantos, INF

Another prospect who is at Triple-A, Triantos is experiencing his first major-league camp.

The 22-year-old reached Iowa last season and hit .302 in 26 games. He finished the 2024 campaign hitting .300 with a .773 OPS, 7 home runs and a whopping 47 stolen bases. The 2021 2nd-round pick has bounced around second base and third base in his professional career — he’s also played 7 games at short and 14 in center field.

This spring, Triantos will primarily work at second base. He’s a player who could reach the big leagues later in the season and will benefit from being around the major league players and staff.