Chicago Cubs: Tyler Durna could spell the future at first base

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(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

The Chicago Cubs are set at first base for the foreseeable future with their captain Anthony Rizzo. With that known, there is nothing wrong with eyeing the future of the position and what that could look like for the club.

When you watch the 22-year-old 15th round selection Tyler Durna ready himself in the batter’s box, there is immediately an aura of Jeff Bagwell that comes to mind. Before we get too far, no Durna is not Bagwell, at least not yet. However, his presence in the batter’s box is reminiscent of the Hall of Fame first baseman.

For context, Bagwell was a right-handed batter while Durna hits from the left side. Interestingly too, Durna stands at 6’0″, 205 pounds. Bagwell is also exactly 6’0″ tall and weighs in at 215 pounds. Durna carries a very similar, albeit from the opposite side, compact stance which helps him generate his pop. Bagwell’s stance remained less open throughout his career. However, he still used it for his power.

The Cubs selected Durna out of the University of California-San Diego as the 458th overall player off the board. He immediately signed for $100,000 and was off to the races in his professional career. For the young left-handed first baseman trying to carve his path through the system, so far all signs point in the correct direction to a healthy future in blue and white pinstripes.

Chicago Cubs: A strong beginning

Finding talent has never been a weak part of Theo Epstein’s game, and it did not stop when the team selected Durna in the 15th round of last summers amateur draft. Durna spent three years at the UC-San Diego, racking up a very successful college career on the diamond.

In 140 career NCAA games for the Tritons, Durna slashed .338/.451/.517 while maintaining a substantial .992 fielding percentage. As a 21-year-old in his final season, Durna slashed .333/.469/.547 while driving in 54 runs and carrying an impressive 1.016 OPS in 55 games.

Durna showed great patience at the plate, posting a ridiculous 17.65% walk rate while keeping his strikeout rate at just 9.8%. To close out his strong season, Durna also posted a .214 ISO despite knocking only seven big flies. For the Cubs, this made it an easy decision to select him and bring him into the fray.

(Photo by Brian Davidson/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Off to the races

Following his selection last June, Durna quickly forced the team’s hand in promoting him quickly. After his successful final year at UC-San Diego, Durna found himself in the Arizona Summer League. He played only three games, recording 14 total plate appearances and slashed a whopping .364/.357/.455 with a .357 wOBA and 114 wRC+. It was good enough to get him sent to Low-A Eugene.

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The promotion to Low-A did not prove to slow Durna down a whole lot, despite the increased competition. His production did waver a bit, as he grew into the league, however, in 24 games Durna did slash .259/.333/.383 while putting up a .329 wOBA and still above-average 103 wRC+.

So far this season it is wheels up for Durna at Class-A South Bend. Earning another promotion, Durna has a substantial sample size under his belt with the increased level of competition. He has played 75 games this season for South Bend, posting an excellent .304/.385/.438 slash line, four home runs and 42 RBI. Of his stats, there are three which stand out the most: wOBA, wRC+, and K%.

Durna has so far posted a career-high .385 wOBA and 140 wRC+ while decreasing his strikeout rate 6.2% from last season to just a 12.5% rate. Durna has also managed to increase his walk rate, and it now sits at a healthy 10.1%. Throughout his past ten ballgames, Durna is slashing an insane .417/.512/.556 with a 1.067 OPS. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he also has a .496 wOBA and 211 wRC+ over the span.

Chicago Cubs: The future is bright

Everyone is currently happy with the Cubs’ current first baseman, and nobody expects that to change anytime soon. That being said, Anthony Rizzo is heading into his age-30 season in 2020 and has a $14.5 million club option in each of the next two years before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2022, his age-32 season.

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The suggestion here is not to take anything away from Rizzo nor is it to sound brash about the club moving away from him. Realistically it would be a shock to all if Theo and the gang do not pick up his option in each of the next two seasons. Rizzo is a staple of the Northside and will go down as one of the great Cubs of all time.

Durna represents the future. At just 22 years old and at his current pace, there is a real chance he ends up in the Show by his age-24 season. If the club makes the executive decision to start Durna in Double-A to begin the 2020 season and he can keep it up, it would not be a shock to see him at Triple-A the following year on a fast track to the majors. Let’s hope this is the path for Durna and the Cubs.

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The Chicago Cubs are set at first base for the foreseeable future with their captain Anthony Rizzo. With that known, there is nothing wrong with eyeing the future of the position and what that could look like for the club.

Chicago Cubs: A strong beginning

Chicago Cubs: Off to the races

More from Cubbies Crib

Chicago Cubs: The future is bright

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