We’ve already explored the 11th- through 20th-ranked prospects in the Cubs system, as voted on by our North Side Baseball writers, in two installments (Nos. 11-15, and Nos. 16-20). Today, we continue our look at our top-20 by diving deep on our 10th-ranked prospect: infielder James Triantos. 

#10 – James Triantos (Iowa Cubs, Triple-A)
Triantos, 23, saw a full season of Triple-A action in 2025 after a strong 2024. While at Double-A Tennessee, the former second-round pick showed improved power, posting a career-high .137 ISO. Power has been one of the knocks on the infielder’s game, so seeing him begin to flash some pop while in Tennessee provided hope that he could marry his contact-oriented approach with just enough pop to create the ultimate version of himself. Sadly, his first extended look at Iowa was not what he or the Cubs had hoped, putting his place in the organization a bit in limbo as we enter the 2026 season.

What To Like
One thing Triantos has never struggled with is making contact, and a lot of it. Even during his time in Iowa last year in which the player struggled, Triantos only struck out 15% of the time. On top of the low punchout rate, Triantos showcased a 90th-percentile whiff rate and 82nd-percentile zone contact rate. He makes a lot of contact, regardless of whether it’s in the zone or out of it. 

One of the things the diminutive hitter has struggled with has been selectivity. This isn’t unique to Triantos; it’s something many high-contact hitters need to learn—that not everything you can hit is something you should hit. While the overall numbers didn’t really get much better, his swing decisions did ,and that is a positive sign for the future. From the beginning of the season to the end of the year, he lowered his chase rate and his overall swing rate, which is a good thing; he needs to be a little bit choosier at the plate. His bat control is good enough that he’s able to get deeper into a count and still make contact. 

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Another thing he does well: he hits the fastball. Triantos’s best outcomes were on fastballs last year. His overall wOBA of .312 was disappointing, but a .337 wOBA when making contact with fastballs was better. By being more picky at the plate, he can also hunt these pitches a little more successfully. While you’d love to see his numbers against other types of pitches be better than where they are, getting to the fastball is a good first-step as he continues to grow as a hitter.

What To Work On:
While Triantos clearly can hit the ball often, his quality of contact is just not where it needs to be right now. While some of these things can be explained away as the cost of a contact-oriented approach, he’s never going to survive at the next level if he doesn’t hit the ball with a bit more authority. 

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On the 2025 season, James had just a 76 wRC+ against Triple-A pitching. For any organization to think he’s ready, he’s going to need to show (at least) the ability to dominate at the highest level of the minors. Sadly, because he will offer limited defensive ability (despite his versatility), his bat is going to have to be a bit stronger. 

One reason why his batted-ball data is so poor could be a leg injury suffered early in the season. Triantos has a pretty quiet swing and doesn’t generate a lot of power to begin with, but if you cut a leg out from under him, it’s going to be even worse. We shouldn’t attribute everything to this, but it could be a mitigating factor, and something to keep in the back of our minds. 

What’s Next:
Another full year of hitting in Iowa is on tap, barring his turning a corner. While Triantos once looked like a virtual lock to make an MLB roster one day due to his versatility and bat-to-ball skills, his 2025 season threw that into question. The good news is that he’s still quite young, still has versatility, and if he can show an offensive game 10% or so better than league average, he’ll quickly put his name back onto broader prospect radars.

One thing to keep an eye on: there’s video out there of what looks like an overhauled swing entering this spring. We’ll have to see what he looks like in games and what this means, but he appears to be a little less upright, and his hands seem to have been raised. It’s a setup and swing geared toward a little extra loft, as well. Compare the video below with the video above, from August 2025. 

I don’t think Triantos profiles as a big-league regular. He’s probably best at second base (despite a plus arm), but he’s not particularly great at any position. His arm is strong enough for third, but he isn’t a particularly adroit fielder. His legs are good enough for center field, but he hasn’t found a home there, and against the best pitching in the world, his bat probably doesn’t have enough oomph to be a starter on a good team.

With that said, he’s got a great chance of being “just good enough” to play second,. third and anywhere in the outfield, while flashing enough contact ability and speed that if you squint hard and believe even harder, he can offer sneaky value. There’s still upside in Triantos, even if 2025 didn’t really go to plan.

What do you think of James Triantos? Do you like his new mechanics? What are your projections? Let us know in the comment section below!

Interested in learning more about the Chicago Cubs’ top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!

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