Inside The Cubs

Concerning Trend Still Present for Chicago Cubs Catcher Heading Into Season

The Chicago Cubs could still have a major problem on their hands when it comes to this defensive aspect of their catcher.

Brad Wakai

Feb 10, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (9) warms up during spring training camp
Feb 10, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (9) warms up during spring training camp / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Cubs have multiple star prospects in their pipeline.

Many of them are projected to become breakout players for this team at some point during their careers, creating a long window of contention for the Cubs that hasn't been seen since 2015-18 when they won a World Series and made two more NLCS appearances.

Chicago is hoping they will see immediate results this year, though.

They have gone "all in" of sorts by trading for Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly as their headlining additions this winter. And since they both are free agents after the season, there is real pressure on this group to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Someone who is going to be key in making that a reality is their catcher Miguel Amaya.

The former top prospect took over as the full-time starter last year, and that coincided with the offense of this position group being one of the worst in Major League Baseball this past season.

Amaya's struggles were a key reason for that.

He slashed .232/.288/.357 with just an OPS+ of 82, hitting eight homers and driving in 47 runs across his 363 plate appearances.

Getting his bat to a serviceable level is the next stage of his progression as a big league catcher, and with star prospect Moises Ballesteros showcasing his ability to rake no matter what level of competition he has faced so far, Amaya will have to prove he can hit or else he could find himself out of a job eventually.

Performing at the plate isn't the only thing the incumbent catcher has to improve upon.

While Amaya is an above average defensive catcher, having recorded a defensive bWAR of 1.5 in 2024, the thing that is the biggest black mark on his profile is his inability to hold runners.

Last season, he caught just 18 batters stealing out of 96 attempts, resulting in an abysmal rate of 18.8%.

Chicago is hoping he'll be much better at controlling opposing team's run games this year, but he did not get off to a good start in that regard against against the Hanshin Tigers in their exhibition game, allowing three steals on three attempts in their surprising 3-0 defeat.

What's concerning when it comes to that possibility are the underlying metrics that Amaya has.

Per Baseball Savant, he was in the 20th percentile when it came to caught stealing percentage largely because his pop time was in the fourth percentile.

That does not suggest he has a high ceiling when it comes to stopping runners from stealing, so this could be something the Cubs have to manage throughout his career.

How Amaya performs this season when it comes to the running game will be seen, but that is something to keep an eye on throughout the 2025 campaign.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai

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