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On Thursday, the Chicago Cubs reportedly called up James Triantos, their second-round pick in the 2021 draft. Triantos, 23, was ranked 12th on North Side Baseball's most recent top prospect list. The utility fielder has worked his way up through the minor-league system, most recently playing in Iowa where he slashed .306/.344/.440, which was good for a 96 wRC+. What should we expect out of the newest member of the Cubs?
Strengths
The best tool in James Triantos' bag is on his bat-to-ball skills. He possess a K% in the 96th percentile and a zone-contact rate in the 92nd in Iowa this season. This helps him maintain a strikeout rate of 11.6%, which is quite excellent. There is little doubt even at the next level that he's going to make contact with the baseball a good amount of the time. He also has no obvious issues with fastballs or breaking pitches in this regard, as his whiff rate on those pitches were 11.3% and 21.9%, respectively. It's safe to assume most of that will carry over at any where he plays at.
Another one of the skills Triantos presents is his above-average athleticism and speed. The infielder is a general menace on the basepaths, swiping 31 bags in 110 games last year and has kept up the pace this year with 18 in 88 contests. While he's been caught around 10 times each year, he's on pace for being caught less in 2026, making him much more efficient. This will be another part of his game you can feel strongly about as he is called up.
One last skill we can bank on: he's got versatility. While his defensive skills are likely "average" at most places and will rarely wow you, he can play across the diamond fairly reliably. He's logged games in Iowa this year alone at second, third, left field, center field and right field, which gives him a lot of pathways to playing time.
Overall, Triantos is probably a pretty high-floor prospect in that it's not terribly hard to see what he does best transitioning to the top level in some fashion. His ability to hit the ball and play versatile defense give him a few ways to impact a team and a game. It's reasonable to expect him to find a role on an MLB bench at the very least.
Weakness
As with many contact-first hitters, there is usually a trade-off to having so much bat-to-ball focus, and that is in the power department. Triantos does not wow with pop; his .134 ISO in the International League (a very hitter-friendly environment) hardly is worth writing home about.
The good news is that he's displayed a different swing this year and I do believe there's some power gained from it. The bad news is that his high-end exit velocities are pretty low; his Max EV is in the sixth percentile and his barrel rate in the 14th, meaning his hardest hits aren't of the highlight variety. He's gotten better in this department, but it's also looking like there's a pretty low ceiling on the power potential here.
The power concerns aren't the only thing to note, as Triantos is a very free swinger. His swing% is in the 90th percentile in Triple-A, while he runs a bottom-of-the-barrel walk rate. He makes a lot of contact, but it's a lot of bad contact. When you couple that with his exit velocities, you have to wonder if his plate discipline will be the limiting function in his game. It wouldn't be surprising, especially initially as he learns the lesson of "just because you can hit it, doesn't mean you have to."
Expectations
Without knowing a corresponding move yet, it's hard to know what will be his exact role. For example, if Pedro Ramirez has an injury or if it's the Cubs deciding to send down Kevin Alcantara, what Triantos will be asked to do may be different in terms of playing time. He won't be getting called up to start, however, either way. It's also likely that his playing time will be limited.
But don't worry about that; he's not at a point of his career where you really need to give him playing time. He's already logged 200 games in Iowa and almost 800 plate appearances. He's been in the system since 2021 and there's probably a fair bit of confidence in the projections. What he is now is someone who can probably help the Cubs on the bases or with his versatility today.
He's got the kind of game that's infectious, and he should provide a fun bench option that will give the team some value as a pinch runner late in the game or a defensive sub at a litany of positions. He probably won't pick up more than a token start here or there, but should be able to find ways to make a mark on the team regardless.
What do you think of James Triantos? Do you think he'll play a lot? What are your expectations? Let us know in the comments below!
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