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Chicago Cubs Position Preview: Catcher

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andrew Wright | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 11:45 AM ET

The catching position has been a weakness of the Chicago Cubs since the departure of Willson Contreras after the 2022 season. The Cubs do however believe that they have a nice tandem ready to suit up behind the plate this year and help them win games.

Chicago will go into the season with two catchers on the roster: Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya. Kelly will be entering his 10th MLB season with his fifth different team, while Amaya will be in his second full season in the big leagues, both coming with the Cubs.

2024 was the second-best year of Kelly's career, as he had his highest numbers for batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, and doubles since the 2021 season.

Amaya struggled in the first half of 2024 with an OPS of just .554. He was given a couple of days off, made some changes, and put up an OPS of .761 in the second half of the season. Amaya showed huge potential in the second half of the season, and it is something the Cubs will hope to capitalize on in 2025.

As for the playing time situation, it is pretty simple. Amaya is a reverse splits guy who hits right-handed pitching better so he will get most starts against righties. Kelly thrives against left-handed pitching, so he will get most starts against the southpaws.

If either of the two struggles mightily during the season or is injured, the Cubs will promote their top catching prospect Moises Ballesteros to make his first appearance in an MLB uniform.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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