It’ll require more time – and higher levels – to evaluate, but the early returns on the Chicago Cubs’ second round pick in 2021 make it look like a home run.
We’ve discussed infielder James Triantos many times before, but the short version is that he was high schooler who was expected to be in the 2022 draft class, but reclassified late to be eligible for selection in 2021. The Cubs were in on him aggressively from the jump, and structured their draft to make sure they got him in the first two rounds. There have been rumors that they might’ve taken him in the first round if Jordan Wicks hadn’t surprisingly fallen, and then there were clear efforts thereafter to make sure they saved enough pool space to sign Triantos way over slot. Although he was drafted with pick 56, his $2.1 million bonus was right around the slot for pick 34. Since then, he went to the ACL and exploded in his first taste of pro ball.
I am *NOT* comparing the two as prospects, but I just want to note that it felt like a similar story when the Cubs landed Brennen Davis a few years ago. He was definitely known to scouts as a compelling prep player, but he’d only fully committed to baseball late in his high school years, and there was uncertainty about whether he’d be drafted high enough not to go to college. So the Cubs popped him in the second round – they had long been on him – and then paid him above slot to sign. Like Triantos, Davis exploded offensively when he got to pro ball.
Sometimes it pays to be on a prep player early and aggressively, even if he’s not clearly in the first round conversation around the league.
Anyway, the reason I mention Triantos today is because he just showed up in an MLB Pipeline list of 15 prospects who had huge pro debuts. Here’s what Pipeline had to say:
James Triantos, 2B/SS, Cubs (2nd round, HS/Virginia)
Triantos reclassified from the 2022 Draft last fall and emerged as one of the best hitters in this year’s prep crop. He has earned offensive comparisons to Alex Bregman and David Wright, and he didn’t hurt those by batting .327/.376/.594 with six homers in 25 games the ACL and topping all 2021 draftees in slugging.
When you put it that way!
Triantos, who doesn’t even turn 19 until the end of January, was clearly one of the best hitters in the ACL this year, particularly by the end of the season. And for him to be described as emerging as one of the best prep hitters in the draft? Triantos was drafted behind 18(!) other high school position players. With a little pro experience, he showed he was one of the best high school bats in the draft. It’s not hard to do the math there and conclude that, at pick 56, the Cubs probably got a steal.
I’ll leave the comps alone because that can be brutal for a prospect. Instead, I’ll just note that, despite being brand new to pro ball and despite being just 18, Triantos was one of the best hitters in the league (and the top slugging draft pick). The Triantos Hype Train is not going to slow down this offseason, and he’s increasingly likely to be a top ten prospect in the Cubs’ deep system when lists are re-worked this offseason.