The hardest thing about doing a profile on a high school draft pick is the lack of information that the average fan can translate into how that prospect will perform once they start playing at the pro level. The stats of most high school draft picks are like those out of a video game. The Cubs second round pick James Triantos is no exception. His senior year of high school saw him hit 11 home runs, drive in 27, and steal 23 bases while hitting .700 and striking out two times the entire year. That’s not going to happen as a pro. If it does, he’ll be in Chicago by the end of May of 2022.
Basic Info
Age – 18
Height – 6-foot-1
Weight – 195
Bats – Right
Throws – Right
Madison High School
The Cubs took Triantos out of Madison High School in Virginia in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft. It took a couple of weeks, but the Cubs signed him for $2.1 million as he was slotted to receive $1,276,400. The Cubs had to pay him that much for him to give up going to college as he was committed to the University of North Carolina.
Dan Kantrovitz, the Cubs Director of Scouting, said the following about Triantos after taking him at number 56. “Our scouts came back raving about James’ bat, his bat speed, his ability to control the zone, his plate coverage. It seemed like every time he made contact, it was loud, hard contact.” Kantrovitz actually got to see Triantos play for the state championship where he threw a complete game, allowed one hit, and struck out 12. In fact, the two-way player was well known as a pitcher as he had a 1.18 earned run average with 62 strikeouts in 47.3 innings this spring.
But as a Cub, Triantos is only playing one-way. While he played mostly shortstop in high school, the Cubs listed him as a third baseman on day two of the draft. And, then, once he started in Mesa, he was at shortstop or DH every game.
What I Said on Draft Day: “I like that the Cubs took a bat on this pick. He will take some time but above all else, he puts the bat on the ball. The potential for power is there. Bat Speed looks good, too.”
And that bad speed is really the selling point for Triantos as a prospect. He sees the ball well, and he is able to just drive everything and he can wait on pitches too with that kind of whip action through the zone.
Here is what MLB Pipeline said of Triantos before the draft.
Even fans of Triantos feel he won’t be a shortstop at the next level. He has the arm for the left side of the infield, with those who dream seeing a little Alex Bregman or fellow Virginia high school product David Wright, albeit a bit less athletic. The University of North Carolina recruit gets high marks for his baseball IQ and work ethic, another reason why he could hear his name called in the top five rounds.
To be quite honest, I’m not sure what to make of high school position player prospects taken this high in the draft because the Cubs really haven’t had a lot of them in the last 10 years. Brennen Davis, Cole Roederer, and Albert Almora come to mind. The Cubs have been selecting mostly college bats for the past 10 years.
As for the future, it’s unclear what speed Triantos is going to move through the system. At first, he struggled quite a bit at the plate in the first few games including striking out 5 times in his first 12 ABs. However, things are starting to turn around. He’s only been playing since August 9. Last night was his best game as he racked up 3 hits including a go-ahead 2 run bomb in the top of the ninth to help the Cubs win. That’s pretty clutch!
If instructs and spring training go well, he could easily find his way to Myrtle Beach next spring to begin his full season debut at the age of 19. As we’ve seen this year, it is quite an adjustment going from the rookie league to low A. It’s not exactly the easiest jump for most high school players. We’ve seen several Cubs struggle this year, but we’ve also seen some a couple guys do very well going from rookie ball to low class A.
Considering that Triantos is a second round pick signed to an over slot deal, there’s going to be certain expectations placed on him by the media. I do not have a set number of home runs I’d like to see him hit, nor is there a certain batting average or on base percentage for him to reach in my mind. In addition, I don’t have any expectations as to a wRC+. I just want him to learn and improve over the course of the year. Those are my only hopes and expectations for him. If last night is any indication, he will be just fine.
Cubs Central 
Todd, I think this new trend in the 2020-21 drafts by the Cubs is really interesting and exciting. The projection on these kind of selections is what can really mske for an interesting farm system.
Nice article, as usual.
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Loved this pick.
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