"Madera played two seasons at UNC after parts of four years at Arcadia, hence him being quite a bit older than your typical undrafted free agent signing. He will potentially show a lot of polish on the defensive side for that reason - you'd hope, anyway - but the extent to which he emerges as a legitimate prospect in the system will probably rest on how quickly the bat adjusts to professional baseball."
"As a senior Cubs past year at UNC, Alex Madera hit .332/.432/.403/101 wRC+ with more walks than strikeouts, but was not drafted in the summer of 2025. The Cubs have pretty significant holes down at the lowest levels in the middle infield, so there certainly could be a real opportunity for Madera to move quickly if he hits."
"With Madera having played at UNC this past season, he would've been a teammate of Cubs 2nd rounder, Kane Kepley, and Cubs 8th rounder, Jake Knapp. In other words, the Cubs probably got a whole lot of looks at Madera, and also some behind-the-scenes character chatter from Kepley and Knapp."
Alex Madera, a 25-year-old North Carolina Tar Heel shortstop, signed with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent and will make his professional debut this season. Playing two seasons at UNC after parts of four years at Arcadia, Madera is older than typical undrafted signings but should demonstrate defensive polish. His success as a prospect hinges on his bat's adjustment to professional baseball, as older prospects have shorter development runways. As a senior at UNC, Madera hit .332/.432/.403 with a 101 wRC+ and more walks than strikeouts. The Cubs have significant middle infield needs at lower levels, creating opportunity for rapid advancement if Madera produces offensively. Madera was teammates with Cubs draft picks Kane Kepley and Jake Knapp, giving the organization extensive evaluation and character insights.
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