Should Miguel Amaay be the everyday catcher for the Cubs this season? He played in 117 games last season for the Cubs, and his season was a tale of two halves. But after a strong second half in ’24, the twenty-four-year-old hopes to remain the primary backstop in Chicago.
It seems as if Cubs manager Craig Counsell is operating with a platoon catcher philosophy early on this season, with both Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly starting two of the first four games. But given Amaya’s strong second half, paired with his fast start this season, some Cubs fans are calling for Amaya to start nearly every day.
Some new competition
Carson Kelly signed with the Cubs in December for two years and $11.5 million. While this is far from starting catcher money, it does show that the Cubs want him to see somewhat regular playing time behind the dish. Last season, Kelly hit .238/.313/.374 for a .687 OPS in 91 games with the Tigers and Rangers. The thirty-year-old, 10-year veteran has accumulated 4.0 career bWAR in his career.
Miguel Amaya struggled mightily to begin the 2024 season. After initially splitting time with Yan Gomes, Amaya cemented himself as the everyday catcher. This was mostly due to Yan Gomes being unplayable at the plate, accumulating a .421 OPS before being DFA’d by the Cubs during the season.
A drastic Improvment
But after the All-Star break, Amaya found a new gear. After making mechanical tweaks, Amaya went 39/144 for a .271 average and a .760 OPS the rest of the way. Those numbers are incredible relative to his season marks of a .232 average and .644 OPS.
This second-half surge made Cubs fans optimistic that their former top prospect would finally make the leap as a bona fide everyday starting catcher with offensive upside. Truthfully, Amaya needs that offensive production to be a net positive as a player, as his defense has been sub-par this far in his career.
Amaya is also off to a strong start this season in his first couple of games. He has gone 3 for 8 with two doubles and six RBi against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. He looks noticeably more comfortable at the plate than he did in the early part of last season. So, should the Cubs give him everyday at-bats to maximise his progression and provide a spark to their offense?
It’s important to note that the catching position is one of the most important positions defensively. Not only do they need to call pitches, but they also need to block, frame, and manage the running game. At this current moment, Amaya does none of those at an average Major League level which complicates the equation.
Even if you anticipate Amaya putting up the umber he did last season, those numbers aren’t necessarily can’t-miss production in the lineup. While Kelly may not put up the offensive numbers of Amaya, his defense is much more valuable. He was graded as an 86th percentile blocker and a 68th percentile pitch framer. Kelly’s defensive prowess will serve a purpose for the Cubs and their pitching staff, even if he isn’t up to snuff with the bat.
Until Amaya can pair significant defensive improvements with a progressing bat, the Cubs should give Crason Kelly some time behind the plate.
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