Welcome back to the Cubs Beat newsletter. Jordan Bastian has covered baseball for MLB.com since 2005, including the Cubs since the 2019 season. |
CHICAGO -- The catching position became an offensive black hole for the Cubs early on last season, hindering the production out of the lower-third of the lineup. Once Miguel Amaya turned a real corner in the second half, the goal over the offseason was to further solidify that area. The Cubs brought in Carson Kelly to create a situation where manager Craig Counsell had two starting-caliber options. Over the first few weeks of the season, the results have been impressive both in how the duo has handled the staff, but also in the offensive numbers Amaya and Kelly have compiled out of the gate. “We’ve been locked in and getting our work in,” Amaya said. “Obviously, the first thing we need to take care of is our pitchers. But it’s also taking care of that spot whenever we have the chance to bring runs in or move a runner, having those quality at-bats. We’re putting in that work, too, so we can be helpful on both sides of the game. “And whoever is in the lineup that day, we’re going to be ready to do our job. And if we’re not in the lineup, we stay locked in for the game for whatever happens.” |
Entering Wednesday, the Cubs ranked second across the board in the Majors in average (.313), on-base percentage (.407), slugging percentage (.627), OPS (1.034), Isolated Power (.313) and weighted Runs Created plus (184) out of the catching position. Kelly was a driving force behind that with four homers, 13 RBIs, 11 walks and a 1.538 OPS in his 10 games. He also hit for the cycle on March 31, becoming the first Cubs player to pull off that feat since Mark Grace in 1993. For his part, Amaya was hitting .283 with one homer, six doubles, 12 RBIs and a .770 OPS through 13 games. “It’s awesome,” Kelly said of their combined production. “Miggy’s great. He’s a great player. He’s a good kid. He wants to continue to get better every single day. He’s taught me some things as a player. And both of us, we’ve had a good relationship. I’m rooting for him every time he’s up there.” |
Last season, the Cubs ranked 29th in the Majors with a 32 wRC+ out of the catching position through July 6, posting a .170/.217/.247 slash line in that span. Amaya was out of the lineup from July 4-6 to focus on a swing change (removing a leg kick), which he debuted on July 7. From that point on, Cubs catchers had a .269/.308/.462 slash line with a 114 wRC+ (eighth in MLB in that span). Amaya, specifically, posted a .799 OPS from July 7 onward in ‘24, following a .504 OPS in his first 63 games. “Miggy’s off to a great start,” Counsell said. “He’s kind of off to exactly the start that we hoped, picking up kind of where he left off in the second half of last year. [He’s] confident. I don’t think there’s any question – just confidence. That’s important. I think we’re in a good place. Our catchers have been great. They’ve played great on both sides of the ball.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker has been at or near the top of the MLB leaderboard in hits so far this season. Who was the last Cubs batter to lead the National League in hits in a single campaign? A) Mark Grace B) Starlin Castro C) Bill Madlock D) Stan Hack |
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HOW WILL CUBS REPLACE STEELE? |
Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd called Justin Steele “one-of-one,” meaning he is the caliber of pitcher that is difficult to replace. With Steele set for season-ending elbow surgery on Friday, Chicago has to find a way to fill his rotation spot, even with that being a tough task. “As a team, we're disappointed, of course,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “He's one of our best starting pitchers and a fantastic teammate. But I think in these moments, you sort of have to just say, 'OK.' This is why you build depth. These are the things that happen. “I feel like once a week you're going to read [about] some good player who goes down with injury. And our number got called this time. We have to deal with it, but we built up the depth for this reason.” For now, the Cubs are handing the ball to right-hander Colin Rea for the rotation’s fifth spot. Righty Javier Assad (15-day injured list) is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa and should be an option in the near future. Lefty Jordan Wicks is also on the 40-man roster and gives Chicago another layer of depth. “And of course, we're going to make phone calls on trades,” Hoyer said. “Of course, we're going to be open, but it's also April, and those things are unusual. So right now, our biggest focus is internally, just making sure that guys are throwing well and that we can withstand that from within.” |
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• A breakdown of the Cubs’ decision to send Matt Shaw (No. 18 on the Pipeline Top 100) back to Triple-A Iowa for now. Read more >>
• The Cubs’ bullpen stepped up in San Diego after a whirlwind 24 hours filled with struggles, an injury and roster moves. Read more >>
• MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand had execs weigh in on the chances of Kyle Tucker inking an extension with the Cubs. Read more >> |
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“He's a guy who's playing to win and wants to win and to contribute and to be a part of it. And that's a good thing, but I think that also can be a bit of a trap. I think we need him to be the best version of himself -- a real offensive power that we all see him as. And I think this can definitely be a great opportunity for him. It doesn't even mean necessarily changing anything. It's just whatever that means to him. Take a deep breath. Emphasize your strengths and get right back to it, because we've got 140 games left. He's going to be a huge part of this year, and the future here for the Cubs.” -- Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, on Shaw returning to Triple-A Iowa |
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B) Starlin Castro Castro was the last Cubs hitter to lead the NL in hits with 207 hits in 2011. Juan Pierre (204 hits in ‘06) and Derrek Lee (199 in ‘05) were the previous two NL hits leaders for the Cubs prior to Castro. You have to go back to 1970 to find the last Cubs batter (Billy Williams) to lead the Major Leagues in hits (Williams tied Pete Rose for the MLB high with 205). |
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