Finally, a little more love for Miguel Amaya!
The MLB.com MLB Pipeline team revealed their new list of the top 100 pre-2021 prospects, and the Chicago Cubs got a trio of prospects: Brailyn Marquez at 60, Brennen Davis at 61 and Miguel Amaya at 89. Most lists we’ve already seen. away was the first two, obviously, but there was Amaya just outside.
Here is the updated Pipeline patrol report on Amaya, which is interesting for the love he receives on defense:
He spent 2020 at the Chicago alternative training site, improving his pitch-call and communication under the tutelage of veteran backstops Jose Lobaton and PJ Higgins.
Amaya stands out more with his work behind the board. He demonstrated more consistency as a catcher last summer, continuing to frame and block shots well. His arm was rated normal when he turned professional and is now rated solid to positive, and he erased 35% of basic estestealers in 2019.
Although Amaya hit just 0.243 / 0.334 / 0.375 in his first four professional seasons, he has been younger than most of his competitors and has shown the ability to manage the attack zone and reach the base. He has a good feel for the barrel and uses the entire field well, although most of the right-handed hitter’s pop comes to his pulling side.
It is that last part that I continue to insist on with Amaya, and why I think he continues to be underestimated. You’re talking about a catcher who was young for his level at every turn, was already promising defensively and yet had better than average league figures in High-A with good strength, plate discipline and contact rates . This combination of youth, position and type productivity is rare. I can’t wait to see what he does in AA this year, and I hope the off-season development year did him well.
As for Davis and Marquez, that’s more or less where they fall on most lists, which is more or less where they were in the middle of last year as well. You will have this when there is no season. It’s ok. Next year, we’ll really see what they – and the rest of the system – can do.
We discussed earlier the list of Baseball America’s best prospects here, Keith Law’s top 100 here and the Baseball Prospectus here.