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With so much of the Chicago Cubs universe solely focused on who will be added via trade/free agency, there's still much to consider regarding who is already on the roster and how much we can expect from them moving forward. In this case, I wanted to look at the team catching tandem of Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya and how they project for 2024.
In 2023, Gomes had a solid season at the plate, slashing .267/.315/.408/95 wRC+ with 10 HRs and 63 RBIs. His offensive production was a big plus, and if he can replicate that at all moving forward, the Cubs are certainly in good shape offensively behind the dish. His Steamer projections predict a bit of drop-off:
Yan Gomes 2024 Steamers: .252/.298/.400/88 wRC+, 11 HR, 46 RBIs
I'll take this production from Gomes in '24. More than his offense, he's a fantastic game-caller. For example, his ERA with Justin Steele sat at 2.43, which is no surprise given how well pitchers performed with Gomes behind the plate in 2022, ultimately leading to the decision to move on from Willson Contreras. Picking up his club option this winter was a no-brainer for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office.
As far as Miguel Amaya goes, it was great to see him put together a good season and put the injuries behind him. Amaya slashed .214/.329/.359 in 131 ABs. He hit five HRs and drove in 18 throughout the 53 games he appeared in for the Cubs. He will look to take a step forward in 2024, as he is most likely given a more significant role to see if he can handle everyday catching duties in 2025 once Gomes departs from the team in free agency.
Miguel Amaya 2024 Steamers: .225/.317/.383/92 wRC+, 7 HRs, 26 RBIs
Pencil me in for the "over" on every one of those stats. I predict Amaya will get closer to unlocking his full potential with the bat. He recorded a .294/.431/.565 line in 28 games between Double and Triple-A last year, so it's likely the more at-bats he received, the more he will continue to adjust once he can get into a rhythm.
Defensively, we hope to continue seeing him improve his game-calling and pitch-framing. At 24 years old, his potential is still very high, and he has the talent to be a core piece of this team moving forward as long as he stays healthy.