RICHMOND, Ky. – Former Eastern Kentucky University All-America catcher A.J. Lewis has joined the Chicago Cubs major league staff as a staff assistant for the 2025 season.
 
Lewis played two seasons (2019 and 2020) at EKU, earning first team All-America recognition as a senior in 2020 from Collegiate Baseball after batting .451 with seven doubles, three home runs, two triples, 21 RBIs and 15 runs scored.  The Chicago native finished the COVID shortened season as the only NCAA Division I player to hit .450 or better, score 15 or more runs and drive in 20 or more.  He was on the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Watch List both seasons.
 
After concluding his collegiate career, Lewis signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Rockies organization.  In four minor league seasons, he played in 193 games, hit 13 home runs, drove in 90, walked 104 times and posted a .732 OPS.  Lewis reached AAA in 2024, hitting .314 with six doubles and posting a .918 OPS in 10 games with Albuquerque. 
 
Lewis was chosen by D1Baseball.com as the 62nd best hitter in college baseball over the 2019 and 2020 seasons combined.  He played at Mount Carmel High School before starting his collegiate career at the University of Missouri.  Lewis played one season at John A. Logan College before coming to EKU.
 
Cubs manager Craig Counsell has assembled his second staff in Chicago.  Ryan Flaherty will be the team's bench coach, Tommy Hottovy will be the pitching coach, Dustin Kelly is the hitting coach, Jose Javier will be the first base coach, Quentin Berry will coach third base, Casey Jacobson is the assistant pitching coach, John Mallee is an assistant hitting coach, Juan Cabreja is an assistant hitting coach and Mark Strittmatter will be the bullpen coach.