The Chicago Cubs catching crew began the 2024 season in a bad place and stayed there for a long while before things started to turn around.
Despite the promise of being a good pairing, the veteran/youngster tandem of Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya fell flat when the 36-year-old Gomes, who was supposed to take the lead in the co-starter gig, batted a feeble .154 in 34 games and delivered a subpar defensive showing. The veteran would eventually be released.
The sophomore Amaya, meanwhile, also underwhelmed with a .201 batting average in the first half of the season while showcasing some noteworthy defensive lapses.
His performance, following on the poor performance of Gomes, would lead to him being benched for a short time to retool and rework.
Miguel Amaya Rebounded From Bad 2024 First Half
Amaya took the humbling demotion in the best possible way and fine-tuned his game across the board.
From July 7 forward, the young catcher slashed an impressive .282/.331/.468 with six home runs, nine doubles, and a triple. Turning his leg kick into more of a toe tap, while focusing on swing decisions, improved his contact rate and made him an offensive asset by the close of the season.
The success at the plate helped with his work behind the plate as well. He appeared to demonstrate more poise and leadership ability as his offense improved.
Because of his second-half success, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Amaya has earned top billing recognition in yet another veteran/youngster catching tandem this coming season instituted by the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs Catching Plans Center Around Amaya
Veteran Carson Kelly was brought in as a free agent in the offseason, on a two-year, $11.5 million contract, to play catcher-B to Amaya’s catcher-A. There’s no doubt, however, that Chicago is counting on Amaya to be their main guy this year and further down the road.
For his part, Amaya will HAVE to deliver this season. His future with the team depends on it.
The native of Panama, who came through the Cubs’ farm system as pretty much the ONLY high-level catching prospect of his generation, is out of minor league options and would have to be run through waivers if he proved to be not worthy of a major league spot at any point.
Baptism By Fire
The young catcher established his raw talent in the minors and has passed a few baptisms by fire as a major-leaguer, making the kind of adjustments true big-leaguers have to make as they transition to veteran status.
“He’s gotten a lot of experience this year,” Counsell told media at the end of last season. “I don’t think there’s any other position where that matters as much. So, I’m really happy about that, and that he’s kind of gone through the season that he’s gone through. That’s a lot of learning.
“Miguel got off to a rough start, no question about it,” Counsell added. “But on both sides of the ball, he’s improved. If you really look back at Miguel, he needs experience. He caught [116 games] this year. That’s a great number for getting experience. That’s an important number.”
There is no plan B for Amaya. He has to succeed if he wants to stay in Chicago and, maybe, if he wants to keep on his path as a major league starting catcher.
For the Cubs, they may be in a better place with Kelly on the roster over Gomes, but they also surely realize the importance of their young asset developing into the player his talents suggest he can be.
2025 could, literally, be a make or break year for Amaya.
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