The silver linings are difficult to find in last night’s historic loss for the Chicago Cubs. After tying the game in the ninth inning, the Cubs blew the chance to win the game in the bottom of the tenth before Ryan Pressly gave up eight runs without recording a single out, practically spoon-feeding the San Francisco Giants in what turned into an embarrassing 14-5 loss.
A big part of that ninth-inning comeback was Carson Kelly, who came in as the tying run after drawing a walk as a pinch-hitter to keep the line moving. He was a late substitution for Miguel Amaya, who had also hit a two-run homer earlier in the game.
While many questions remain about the roster, the catcher position has been the Cubs’ biggest source of stability.
Looking back to 2024, catcher was one of the weakest links of the roster. Yan Gomes was unable to replicate his solid 2023 campaign and was released after 34 games. Amaya had yet to prove himself as a reliable piece of the future and many were starting to question whether he ever would.
Come July 7, Amaya debuted a new swing with no leg kick. From that point on, he was a completely different hitter, finishing the season with a .282 batting average and a very respectable .799 OPS. He’s shown no signs of slowing down, already with three home runs to his name and an OPS+ of 111.
After being signed primarily as a defensive-minded backup catcher for the 2025 season, Kelly is putting up numbers that would make even Barry Bonds turn his head. In just 21 games, Kelly has eight home runs to his name along with an absurd OPS of 1.306. Kelly even hit for the cycle on March 31 against the Athletics.
After making a swing change over the offseason, Kelly is showing no signs of slowing down, a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one for the Cubs.
The Cubs ranked 18th in positional WAR at the catcher position in 2024 with 1.6 wins above replacement level. The Cubs have matched that total in 2025, only needing 37 games to do so to lead Major League Baseball at that position.
The Cubs currently boast a three-game lead in the division over the Milwaukee Brewers, the largest divisional lead in MLB. The Cubs will continue to rely on Kelly and Amaya to stay hot if they want to keep building on it.