Moises Ballesteros – Picture by Todd Johnson
This is going to be an exciting year in the catching corps. The Cubs have some quality backstops who each have their own skill set that makes them exciting in different ways. In the middle of the system, there are a couple of guys who have switched over to catching that bear watching while the lower parts of the system should have a couple of guys who look to break out at the plate.
Here are last year‘s rankings.
Now let’s get to this year!
The Top 4
1. Moises Ballesteros is the clearcut number one catching prospect in the system. However, there’s a small problem, and I wouldn’t even call it a problem. Ballesteros has this thing he uses called a bat that, when attached with his swing, generates a lot of fun at the plate. He can hit for power and average and he’s going to be at Double-A at the age of 20. That, in and of itself, is cause for a pause. The long-term issue is whether he stays behind the plate this summer or moves over to first base or continues to play mixture of both, which she started to do at the end of last year. As long as he shows up to hit at the plate four times a game this spring and summer, the Cubs probably don’t care at this point. Just let him hit.
2. Pablo Aliendo had a monster year at the plate, especially when it comes to power. Whether he can replicate that this year is another story, but Aliendo is on pace for a 40-man spot by the end of the year. He is probably the Cubs’ best mixture of defender and hitter behind the dish in the system. I thought for sure he was going to get a 40-man spot, and I was really pleased that no one picked him up in the Rule 5 draft. What Aliendo brings to his job every day is an enthusiasm for life, but also a huge desire. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player who loves to win in the minors more than Aliendo. He has two titles, and if it was up to him, he’d be going for a third this year. However, his contract runs out at the end of 2024, which makes him a likely 40-man candidate if he can hit in Triple-A.
3. Bryce Windham had a great 2023 season. He is a quality defender, a quality hitter, and the only thing you might have against him is that he does not hit for power. However, this dude is a baseball player through and through. His greatest asset is that he just has such natural instincts for the game. His maturity helps, but he just gets what to do in the moment without having to put too much thought in it, whether it’s chasing a flyball, throwing out a runner at second, or working with the pitching staff. I hope at some point he gets a chance this year in Chicago as he’s probably the number one back up at Iowa.
4. Casey Opitz is not too far behind either. An outstanding defender, an excellent manager of pitchers, and he throws out base runners, Opitz will probably open the year at Tennessee and we’ll see how things go from there. Opitz is going to have to do something to make himself stand out. Developing pitchers helps.
The Sleeper
Adan Sanchez is the sleeper in all this ranking madness. He did very well in 2022 in the Dominican where he basically fell out of a bed every day and went 1-for-3. He struggled quite a bit at the plate in Mesa last year as an 18-year-old. I would not be surprised to see him repeat that level, or at least extended spring training, and then he could move up to Myrtle Beach when the Arizona Complex League season begins.
And the Rest
It’s at this point in the rankings that I’m going to get off the ranking train. For the rest of the catchers from South Bend on down, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, especially considering that two of them were just taken last year in the draft with one of those two converting to the position.
Getting to see Michael Carico and Carter Trice this year is going to be interesting. Carico is known for his bat and so was Trice at one point in his collegiate career, first at ODU and then later at North Carolina State. Trice is now a full-time catcher and I’m going to be very interested to see where he begins a year and ends the year. The same as true for Carico who did play a little bit in Myrtle Beach last year and will probably return there to start the year. Both guys could be an interesting combo for the Pelicans. However, because of said college experience, I would not be surprised to see one of them with Miguel Pabon in South Bend. It’s more than likely that Frank Hernandez is going to be one of the main catchers in Myrtle Beach and will probably going to get that assignment because he’s a little bit newer to the position than Carico.
This position group is the one that has the most questions about who is going to play in South Bend and Myrtle Beach. It’s unclear who has done what in terms of development this winter. I’ve seen some videos of Carter Trice working on some stuff. I’ve seen Adan Sanchez and Frank Hernandez lifting weights. I’m curious as to who has done what behind the scenes to improve.
