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Chicago Cubs: It should be P.J. Higgins over Miguel Amaya in 2020
The Chicago Cubs decided before the Rule 5 draft last week to protect their number two overall prospect, catcher Miguel Amaya. While it was an obvious choice, another young prospect is still in the ranks of the organization and should get his chance to blossom in 2020.
It feels every so often I jump back into the coverage of the Cubs‘ second overall prospect. Miguel Amaya found himself eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this year and it quickly became pretty obvious the team was going to protect him. At 20 years old, Amaya has many qualities of a future big-league catcher and should take the reins in the next handful of years.
There is, however, a name many people tend to forget about, and that is P.J. Higgins. Higgins is an original product of the Cubs having been drafted in the 12th round back in 2015. Over the past four seasons, Higgins has worked his way from rookie ball to Triple-A Iowa, where he spent part of last season.
Due to the nature of his talent, Amaya is a natural choice to immediately jump to when thinking about what a post-Willson Contreras future resembles. I get it. I am a massive proponent for Amaya. It, however, needs to come in due time. Currently, Amaya is listed as the third catcher on the depth chart. While it is exciting to see his name attached to the major league team, it should be Higgins who receives the first opportunity.
Chicago Cubs: Chasing an opportunity
As every fan in baseball is aware, the catcher can be the most volatile position in baseball. Currently, there are about three or four catchers on active rosters who stand so far above the rest its not even a competition. So while the Cubs do have one of the most exciting in Contreras, banking on the future at the position is essential.
Since being drafted by the Cubs, Higgins has put together a solidly consistent resume at the minor league level. He slashed .288/.345/.488 with a 139 wRC+ during his first professional season. After working his way to Double-A Tennessee in 2018, Higgins stayed with the Smokies for a portion of the 2019 season before his rise to Iowa.
In 72 games at Tennessee this past season, Higgins slashed .276/.338/.369 in 72 games. The 26-year-old backstop moved to Iowa to finish the season, where Higgins slashed a respectable .291/.374/.521 with a 113 wRC+. The strikeouts rose by about four percent. However, Higgins developed more patience at the plate, working a 12.1 percent walk rate in 140 plate appearances.
Higgins also saw a massive boost in his ISO, as it jumped from .093 at Tennessee to a whopping .231 at Iowa. Higgins also improved his overall speed between the two levels, something which is vital for catchers. Regarding his fielding, Higgins made just three total errors at Iowa behind the dish in 216 total innings. He saw time at first base as well as third base, excelling in both spots.
Chicago Cubs: The future is here?
Speaking on Amaya, the 20-year-old spent his 2019 season at Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach. Despite hitting only .235, Amaya managed to scratch out a substantial .351 on-base percentage as well as a 122 wRC+.
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The young right-hander’s power stayed consistent, as Amaya banged out 11 home runs in 99 games for the Pelicans. He did see a small jump in his overall ISO from .147 the season before to .167 last year.
Amaya is the clear front runner to the Contreras throne; however, what is worrisome at this stage is his age and experience. Contreras signed with the Cubs in 2009. He spent eight years in the pipeline before making his debut in 2016. The paths for both players feel very similar, giving way to the notion the Cubs should continue Amaya’s development one level at a time.
I know the Cubs need to protect Amaya. Letting a prospect like him walk would have been laughable. His development is essential, however, and the Cubs need to make sure to respect it.
Higgins represents a near major league available catcher and, with his overall experience in the minors, should be carried as the third catcher entering into the season. At some point, it would not be a surprise to see Higgins called up, and based on his 2019 season, could be sooner than later.
Next. Yu Darvish looks more and more like a steal. dark
Regardless, the Cubs are set for the next decade with catching prospects. Both Ronnier Quintero and Ethan Hearn sit in their top 30, so the team does have depth. Either way, it is an exciting time for catchers in the Windy City.