Chicago Cubs: Josue Huma is playing above his age curve

The Chicago Cubs have a plethora of young talent in the farm system. One guy, in particular, is just 19 years old and is playing above his age curve.

It can sometimes be a struggle diving into the depths of the Chicago Cubs minor league pipeline, but through the sludge, sometimes you find a treasure. In this case, that gem is a teenager who has made his way to Short Season Class-A Eugene, switch-hitting infielder Josue Huma.

Huma signed with Chicago as part of their 2016 international class and has now spent three seasons with the organization. How he has improved in his three years, beginning at rookie ball and reaching Low-A, is a promising journey in its own right.

The quick-handed Huma has made great strides since signing almost four years ago. Knowing what the promise of the future holds with their top prospects, it is a relaxing thought in realizing there is still a ton more talent that the eye lends credit.

Chicago Cubs: Brick by brick

Huma moved to the Arizona Summer League in 2018, playing in 44 games and reaching 174 plate appearances. Another staunch sample size for the kid who at the time, was 18 years old. Huma responded well slashing .256/.322/.353 with a 95 wRC+.

The strikeouts rose a smidge, still sitting at a respectable 14.4 percent. Huma’s walk rate also dipped slightly but remained around ten percent. Most notably, Huma saw a small increase in his ISO, and the slugging percentage jumped from .323 the previous year to a .353 average.

Over a six-game stretch in July of that year, Huma slashed a whopping .350/.391/.500 with a .891 OPS. He finished with a 145 wRC+ and a .150 ISO. While Huma did not hit a home run during that small stretch, he did showcase his overall ability to drive the ball and hard. It was also the year Huma needed.

Chicago Cubs: 2019…and beyond!

This past season was a major one for Huma’s development, and the 19-year-old more than rose to the task. He began his year back in the AZL, playing in 36 games and hitting .271 with a 119 wRC+. The on-base rate raised to .400, too, and even his slugging percentage slightly increased.

Huma worked diligently to keep his strikeout rate manageable as he struck out at a rate of 18 percent. The walks somehow increased tenfold, as Huma finished 161 plate appearances with a crazy high 16.8 percent rate.

To close out the season, Huma was moved to Eugene. Somehow, Huma managed to walk at a higher rate than he struck out at, posting a 17.1 percent walk rate to a 15.8 percent strikeout rate. The on-base percentage was still at a solid .360, which may have been overlooked.

Huma provides intrigue at the lower levels. He displays super quick hands with a fluid drive through the zone. When Huma connects, the ball jumps off the bat. Huma is also speedy as we saw with his 20 stolen bases during his first season in the organization.

Huma is Rule 5 eligible next December. If the Cubs make the correct decision, it will be that to making sure no other team will be swooping in to scoop up his talents. There are still eons of time for the Cubs and, most importantly, Huma to push his development. Let’s hope we see this kid in 2022-23.