The Cubs are calling up one of their top prospects.

First base prospect Matt Mervis had his contract selected by the Cubs on Friday and made his big-league debut against the Marlins. In a corresponding move, the Cubs optioned Edwin Ríos to Triple-A Iowa. 

The 25-year-old has been on a meteoric rise over his last two seasons in the minors, slashing .305/.383/.599 with 42 home runs, 146 RBI and a 153 weighted runs created plus in 161 games since April of last year. He was the Cubs’ minor league player of the year in 2022. Mervis is the Cubs’ 8^th-ranked prospect, per Lance Brozdowski’s top 30 prospects and 6^th per MLB Pipeline.

Mervis was an undrafted free agent signing in the 5-round, 2020 Draft that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He struggled in his debut season in 2021, hitting .204 with Low-A Myrtle Beach before his breakthrough campaign in 2022.

He opened that season with High-A South Bend before rising through the system, playing at three levels in the minors and ending the year at Triple-A. He was in big-league camp this spring and played with Team Israel at the World Baseball Classic in March.

The Cubs have struggled with production from the first base position, their 85 wRC+ from first base is 24^th in baseball, slashing .260/.305/.373 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI. Mervis has picked up where he left off this year, hitting 6 home runs in 112 plate appearances with Iowa and posting a 140 wRC+. With Mervis, the Cubs will use him in a platoon role with Mancini at first base and DH and he will be an everyday player, per David Ross.