Miguel Amaya

Position: C
Level: Class A
Affiliate: South Bend Cubs
League: Midwest League
Born: 03/09/1999 (Age: 25)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as international free agent July 17, 2015 (CHC)

Prospect Spotlight

Amaya signed with the Cubs from Panama as a 16-year-old in 2015, agreeing to a $1.25M bonus. He moves well behind the plate, projecting as an above-average defensive catcher with enough offensive upside for a solid-regular ceiling. The 6’1” Amaya exudes confidence and comfort behind the dish. He is a quiet receiver with soft hands, and he shows framing aptitude by consistently keeping his glove inside his body on borderline pitches. There are more informational nuances to catching than ever before, and while it takes time for catching prospects to become refined defenders, Amaya has all the ingredients to be a future 60-grade glove with an above-average throwing arm (1.94-1.98 pop times).

Offensively, he showed above-average raw power with enough carry to clear the power alleys with the bat control to square up off-speed pitches Amaya’s hit tool projects to fringe-average, applying a pull-heavy approach that leaves him vulnerable on the outer third–especially on well-placed changeups late in the count. This approach lets him punish mistakes, balanced with swing-and-miss that has him striking out over 20-percent of the time, both of which featured in this look. The result is a 45 hit tool with 50 game power. A plus athlete with a physical frame that’s built to withstand the rigors of the position, Amaya’s defense carries the profile, but the 16-20 HR power potential could make him as high as a FV 55 above-average everyday contributor.