Chicago Cubs: Breaking down the team’s top prospects entering the season

Learning from the best, Almora could be great

Albert Almora was taken by the Cubs in the first round of the 2012 draft. Almora was drafted out of high school, and began his professional career at age 18. In 2012, Almora hit .321 with two home runs and 19 RBI in his first taste of professional baseball.

At age 19, Almora slashed .324/.369/.469 in 82 games between the Arizona Fall League and Single-A. In 2016, at just 22 years old, Almora debuted at Triple-A. He hit .303 with four home runs and 43 RBI. That performance was good enough to earn Almora a call-up to the majors. In 47 games for the Cubs last season, Almora hit .277 with three home runs and 14 RBI.

While Almora does not wow with the bat, he is off-the-charts defensively. That great defense was on display Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals when Almora robbed Matt Adams of a home run in the 7th inning.

That catch would end up being the difference in the Cubs 2-1 win, the team’s first victory of the season. He continues to work on his offensive game, but his defense will keep him in the lineup for now.

Right now, Almora is splitting time in center field with Jason Heyward and Jon Jay. As the youngster gains experience, the Cubs may take the training wheels off and let Almora be a more regular player.

After a catch like that, he deserves to be on the field every day.