Shota Imanaga has the league’s attention. Michael Busch has built a consistent offensive season and learned a new position. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been coming on strong. And Miguel Amaya has improved both offensively and defensively. Each of these players has a case to be considered the Chicago Cubs’ top rookie of 2024.
The Race for the Cubs’ Top Rookie of 2024
Age Before Beauty?
Of the Cubs’ four rookies Imanaga, 31, is by far the oldest and most experienced, given that he spent eight years of his career pitching for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars in the Central League in Japan. He got the attention of major league clubs during the 2023 World Baseball Classic pitching for Team Japan, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, allowing only two runs while striking out seven and walking no one. He started and earned the win for Japan in the championship game against Team USA that year, as well.
This year, Imanaga has led the Cubs’ rotation going 13-3 with a 3.03 ERA, 1.017 WHIP, and 159 strikeouts in 160 1/3 innings. The clubhouse is feeling good about him, too. The Cubs are 21-6 in games Imanaga has started this season. All this is why he ranks fourth in the running for National League Rookie of the Year odds by Fox Sports. In the first year of a four-year deal, the Cubs are hoping Imanaga will be their number one or two starter through 2027.
Two Players Solidifying Their Positions
As position players go, Michael Busch, 26, was once the regular season favorite for Cubs Rookie of the Year. Even after a prolonged slump, the first baseman is slashing .249/.335/.430 on the year with 17 HR and 56 RBI. Meanwhile, he’s not only learned to play the right-side corner position, but he’s excelling there, posting an above-league-average .996 fielding percentage. Although he’s no longer in the mix for NL ROY honors, the Cubs may have found themselves a Gold Glove-caliber infielder with a steady bat.
All that might’ve sown up the deal for Busch if not for the late-season rise of Pete Crow-Armstrong. PCA bounced from Iowa to the big league club a couple of times early in the season, but was recalled for good on May 30. His defense was never in question, but a sub-.200 average was a problem for the 22-year-old rookie.
After a short hiatus wherein he took some hitting instruction from the Cubs’ coaching staff, he has been reborn. In his last 30 games, Crow-Armstrong is slashing .324/.372/.529 with five HR and 21 RBI to go along with five of his 26 stolen bases. His hot hitting is accentuated by his elite speed, making him one of the most electric players to put on a Cubs uniform in recent memory. If he can improve on this year’s performance, he is bound to be a perennial Gold Glove center fielder and an All-Star many times over.
A Close Race For Top Honors
Imanaga may be getting more attention from the league, but the stats prove the race for the Cubs’ top rookie is closer than many may think. While his strikeout rate may be high, he is susceptible to the long ball, having given up 26 homers so far this season. His 2.7 WAR is respectable if not glimmering. That said, he was nevertheless an All-Star this season.
Compared to PCA’s 2.4 WAR, Imanaga looks even better. But considering Crow-Armstrong is nine years his junior, and playing for less than a tenth of his salary, the Cubs are surely getting a bargain out of their young center fielder. While PCA’s 91 OPS+ isn’t yet where the team wants it to be, it has improved markedly over the course of the season. And the thing that separates him from his fellow rookies is what appears to be a very high ceiling.
Busch’s 2.9 WAR tops PCA, although still not worthy of All-Star status. The former first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a 115 OPS+ in 2024. This number is also solid but he’ll want to improve on it if he’s to get to the next level. Busch has proven himself at first base and is a career middle infielder. If he can improve on a strong performance this season he could make a valuable piece of the Cubs roster going forward.
Amaya’s Uncertain Future
The Cubs’ coaching staff is still optimistic about the future of catcher Miguel Amaya. The 25-year-old backstop has done the majority of the catching this season. After taking a short break to reorganize his hitting approach, Amaya has hit better overall. He’s slashing .253/.283/.453 over his last 30 games. But with a 1.3 WAR and a 77 OPS+ he is going to need to pick it up a lot.
The Last Word
Cubs manager Craig Counsell is fond of saying you don’t judge a player in two weeks or two months but over the whole season. Taken as a whole, Imanaga has had the best season and would have to be considered the Cubs’ top rookie. But given his age, it’s not quite a fair contest.
Signed in 2019, Busch barely got going before the pandemic delayed his progress. Considering the learning curve at one of baseball’s toughest positions, he is doing very well for himself and his team.
Drafted by the New York Mets in the first round in 2020, PCA was also delayed by the cancellation of the minor league season. Luckily for him (and the Cubs!) he was just 18 years old at the time. He came over for Javier Báez and RHP Trevor Williams in a trade with the Mets in July of 2021. Injury-free in 2022, he had a breakout season with Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend. That season, he was the only player in the minor leagues with a .300-plus BA, 20-plus doubles, 10-plus triples, 15-plus HR, 60-plus RBI, and 30-plus stolen bases.
Both Busch and Crow-Armstrong are under one-year contracts. The two each seem to have earned a spot on the Cubs’ roster next season. Despite their progress, the Cubs are likely to retain both for a relative bargain. Then again, they might also make fair trading chips. Whatever happens, the Cubs rookie class has performed very well overall in 2024.
Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
