There are so many awesome prospects for the Chicago Cubs this year up and down their minor league system, but one of the most underrated storylines may be the continued development and so far, strong come back from injuries for Miguel Amaya. The 24-year-old is off to an incredible start at Double-A in 2023 and he’s quickly back into the conversation to become the next star catcher for the Cubs.

Miguel Amaya Homers Twice

The Tennessee Smokies had an all-around great win on Friday night, beating the Chattanooga Lookouts 7-1 and Miguel Amaya led the way with two home runs and three runs batted in. His two homers were no-doubters, blasting them both way beyond the left-field wall at Smokies Stadium.

Amaya sure was feeling himself after the second home run that put the Smokies ahead 6-1 in the fifth inning.

The right-handed hitting catcher finished Friday night’s game 2-for-4, raising his season slash line to .320/.455/.840. Amaya has played in eight games at Double-A so far in 2023, going 8-for-25 overall at the plate with three home runs and four doubles, while also showing good plate discipline, striking out eight times, but drawing five walks.

Obviously the Cubs farm system is loaded right now, with a lot of quality depth on the pitching side and in the outfield, but we shouldn’t forget about Amaya, who just a few years ago rose to the top of the team’s prospect rankings and was a consensus top-100 prospect at the start of the 2021 season.

Amaya only played in 23 games during the 2021 season, when he first went on the injured list on June 5, and eventually the catcher was placed on the 60-day injured list in late July. Amaya did not return and during the offseason the Cubs announced that he needed Tommy John surgery. The good news was that Amaya was able to play in 2022, with the caveat that he wouldn’t be able to catch, as he was still recovering from the elbow surgery.

And hey, Amaya looked pretty good at the plate last season, getting back on the field in the Arizona League during the summer before he was assigned to Double-A. In 28 games with the Tennessee Smokies, Amaya slashed .278/.379/.485, with four home runs and a 12% walk rate in 116 plate appearances. But even his success last year came with a couple hiccups, as Amaya missed time because of a dislocated finger and then he wasn’t able to play in the Arizona Fall League because he suffered a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot in September.

It is just great to see Amaya healthy again because he’s been a productive player when he’s been on the field and was on a path to potentially reaching the majors as soon as 2023, but injuries have slowed him down the last few years. If Amaya can put those setbacks behind him, then he has all the makings of a solid catcher in MLB and his bat can take him into the next tier at the position.