Farm System

[Kid]

Cubs have just 1 in Law's top 100.  C Miguel Amaya is #91.

 

The lone Cub on the list or even particularly close to it, Amaya struggled as an 18-year-old in the advanced short-season Northwest League in 2017, putting up a .266 OBP. But another year of growth had him a different player in the full-season Midwest League, where he hit .256/.349/.403 and threw out 41 percent of opposing runners. Amaya is an offensive catcher, perhaps a future average defender with a plus arm, but a potential 55-grade hitter with average power and a solid idea of the strike zone. He has to continue to get stronger, if only for durability. He slugged .478 before the major league All-Star break but hit .198 with a .223 slugging percentage after it, which isn't surprising for a 19-year-old at a very demanding position, but it's a clear area for improvement.
 

Amaya has a very simple swing and approach, with a direct path to the ball, good balance through contact and enough loft for 15-plus-homer power, perhaps more if he gets stronger than expected. He will turn 20 in March, so there's risk here, but right now, he looks like a solid everyday catcher with a high floor as a quality backup.

 

SS Nico Hoerner "just missed" at #110.

 

Hoerner is more of a skills guy than a tools guy, as the Cubs' first-round pick in 2018 out of Stanford doesn't have a six anywhere on his scouting report. He's probably going to end up at second base, although his instincts are so good he might beat the odds and stay at short, and he's an elite baserunner who looks like he's going to steal bases at a very high success rate. Questions about his position and his history of running short at-bats (and thus not walking much for a guy without power) kept him off the 100.