How does Amaya injury affect Cubs’ catching situation?

Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya exited in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 6-4 loss to the Reds in Cincinnati with a left oblique strain, a blow to one of the best catching duos in baseball. After the game, manager Craig Counsell told media in Cincinnati that Amaya would be headed to the injured list.

It wasn’t long ago that the Cubs’ catching situation appeared irreparable, with Amaya’s development seemingly stalled. At the start of last July, the position was producing a 32 wRC+ for the team, 29th in baseball. The combined minus-1.9 fWAR was dead last.

“Those numbers, when you’re at the bottom of the league, that just hurts,” Counsell said earlier this season. “That hurts team offense, for sure. At that position, when you can be a real difference maker offensively, that’s impactful. No question about it.”

Team president Jed Hoyer searched for long-term upgrades at the spot at the trade deadline last season — including a pursuit of the Los Angeles Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe — and again made it a priority in the offseason. Finding a young catcher with offensive upside was going to be hard, and it proved to be unrealistic.

But Hoyer knew, at minimum, pairing a veteran who could handle a 50-50 split with Amaya was important. It wasn’t as if there were a plethora of options to choose from, but the Cubs ended up with Carson Kelly as Amaya’s backstop-mate.

The results have been better than anyone could have hoped.

Entering play Saturday, Cubs catchers had a 161 wRC+, tops in baseball, and their 2.5 fWAR was topped only by Seattle (3.0 fWAR), which boasts arguably the best catcher in baseball in Cal Raleigh. Chicago’s catching duo has done this while handling a pitching staff that’s battled injuries and has had multiple young arms learning the ropes at the highest level.

“They’re both really steady guys,” veteran starter Jameson Taillon said. “They’re really calm when things aren’t going well, which is what you look for from leaders.”

For batters with at least 80 plate appearances, Kelly leads catchers with a 188 wRC+. Amaya is 10th at 126. Both have already topped 1 WAR, a mark Amaya has never reached in his career and one Kelly has passed just three previous times.

“It’s a huge luxury in MLB to have one good catcher because it’s such a hard and unique position,” Taillon said. “But it’s a real advantage to have two really good ones. They can give each other days off, and there’s no drop-off.”

The Cubs have to hope Amaya’s injury won’t keep him out for an extended period because the duo has seemed to feed off each other. When Kelly stepped in on Saturday, he went 2-for-2 with a home run, showing why the tandem has worked so well and also giving hope that the Cubs can handle what hopefully isn’t a long absence for Amaya.

It’s rare for catchers not to get worn down throughout the season, so having a competent backup is important. But the Cubs are getting more than competence, and the reality is there’s no backup in this situation. Both catchers are producing at a high level. There seems to be both an understanding and an appreciation of their roles by each player.

“No matter who’s in the lineup,” Amaya said, “we’re locked in to do our job on both sides of the game.”

The job of a catcher is demanding and sometimes a bit thankless. When working with veterans, a catcher has to make sure they are always on the same page and understand what allows that pitcher to thrive and what buttons to push when. With youngsters such as Cade Horton and Ben Brown, a catcher has to lead the way and make sure they are helping guide developing talents. There is so much to learn as relievers come in and out of games and on and off the roster.

They have to do all that while making sure they’re able to produce offensively, as well.

“The thing that I’ve learned over my career is you’ve got to leave your at-bats after they’ve happened and focus on the pitchers,” Kelly said. “It’s having that separation. When I put my gear on, it’s over. You flip the switch and work on your pitchers. And when I come into the dugout and take my gear off, then it’s hitting. Having those physical changes helps me make that adjustment.”

The Cubs lead baseball in runs scored (310) and are third in wRC+ (122). Having players such as Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki makes everything run. But it’s the production from Amaya and Kelly that has helped take this lineup to another level.

“Offensively, they lengthen our lineup,” Taillon said. “Lots of teams have holes at the end, or from the catcher position. With them, they strengthen and lengthen our lineup big-time. And it’s not even the most important thing they do for us compared to their defense and leadership.”

With Amaya headed for the IL, the Cubs are lucky to have Kelly performing at such a high level. Still, they surely hope Amaya’s absence is short so they can continue to put out one of the most imposing catching duos in baseball.

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