The Cubs enter the winter hoping to build a team that can make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing so four years in a row from 2015 to 2018. We look at each position on the Cubs roster as they aim to get back to October baseball in 2026.
Depth ChartCarson KellyMiguel AmayaMoisés BallesterosReese McGuireAnalysis
The offensive emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong, coupled with strong contributions from Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch played a role in almost hiding the exploits of Cubs catchers at the plate.
Cubs backstops hit 29 home runs in 2025, tied for the fourth-most in baseball from that position group and slashed .250/.307/.442 (.749 OPS) with a 108 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) — eight percentage points above league average. The bulk of the production came from Kelly (17 home runs, .761 OPS in 111 games), as the 31-year-old posted arguably the best year of his career.
He’s under contract for 2026 with a mutual option for 2027 and should split duties behind the dish with Amaya, who looked like the perfect complementary piece to Kelly until injury struck. In 28 games, Amaya had four home runs with 25 RBI, posted an .814 OPS and had a 1.1 bWAR. The duo kept each other fresh, operating as more of a 1a and 1b rather than a true starter and backup.
The hope would be that the duo could do so again in 2026 and continue to provide strong offensive contributions from a defensive-first position. The x-factors, though, come in the form of Ballesteros and McGuire.
More on Ballesteros in a bit, but McGuire enters the offseason going into his final year of arbitration and is projected to make $1.9 million, per MLB Trade Rumors. That could make him a non-tender candidate later this month, because that’s a bit of a hefty price to pay for a third or fourth-string catcher, even though he hit nine home runs in 44 games.
What’s next?
Kelly and Amaya are the clear options for 2026, but how the Cubs incorporate Ballesteros will be an interesting storyline to follow next season.
He proved in September that he can hit at the major-league level – he posted a .999 OPS in the game’s final month. But there are questions about his defensive home and if he isn’t catching, that probably relegates him to a DH-only role.
Amaya is under team control through 2029, meaning he is the Cubs’ potential long-term option behind the plate, but Ballesteros’ development behind the dish could play a factor, too. Amaya will also have to prove he can stay healthy after dealing with injuries consistently throughout his career.
Beyond that, though, the minor-league depth is thin behind the dish for the Cubs.
Bottom line
It’s clear – the catching duo in 2026 will be Kelly and Amaya, but how Ballesteros factors in could tell us how the Cubs view the position moving forward.
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