James Triantos

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #12 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Triantos was a standout two-way player in high school whose fastball touched 96 mph, but the Cubs saw greater upside as a hitter and drafted him as a third baseman. Triantos rewarded that belief when he led the Carolina League in hits in his first full season. He missed the first month of the 2023 season after having meniscus surgery on his right knee, but returned to hit .285/.363/.390 for High-A South Bend and found a defensive home after moving to second base. He finished the year with a late promotion to Double-A Tennessee.
  
  Scouting Report: Triantos has a sharp eye for the strike zone and can hit almost any pitch. He has a fast, compact righthanded swing geared for contact and rarely chases or swings and misses. He has an innate feel for the barrel and projects to be an above-average hitter. Triantos makes lots of contact, but he is prone to swinging at pitches he can’t drive and has struggled to hit for power. The Cubs want him to hone in on the middle third of the plate to fulfill his 15-20 home run power potential. After struggling defensively at third base, Triantos lost weight and improved his agility to handle a move to second base. He is a below-average runner with limited range, but he makes enough plays to be a fringy, albeit playable, second baseman with above-average arm strength.
  
  The Future: Triantos projects to be a bat-first infielder and will go as far as his offense takes him. He’ll begin 2024 back at Double-A.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #18 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Triantos starred as both a pitcher and hitter in high school and was one of the top players in the 2022 draft class before he reclassified to be eligible for the 2021 draft. The Cubs drafted him in the second round and signed him for an above-slot $2.1 million to forgo a North Carolina commitment. Triantos made his full-season debut with Low-A Myrtle Beach in 2022 and led the Carolina League with 124 hits, but his lack of a clear position made him a divisive prospect.
  
  Scouting Report: Triantos is one of the best pure hitters in the Cubs organization. He has a quick, compact righthanded swing with a heavy barrel that results in a lot of hard contact. He has a sharp eye for the strike zone and rarely strikes out, giving him the swing and approach to be an above-average hitter. Triantos primarily drives balls from gap to gap, but he projects to get stronger with age and grow into average power. A shortstop when he was drafted, Triantos gained weight and now has a pudgy build with limited athleticism. He is a well below-average defender at third base with a slow first step and poor balance, and he lacks the range or agility to play second base. Some Cubs officials want to move him to catcher, where his above-average arm strength will play.
  
  The Future: Triantos has the bat to be an everyday player, but he needs to find a defensive home. That will be his main goal at High-A South Bend in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 40. Fielding: 30. Arm: 55.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #11 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Triantos was originally part of the 2022 draft class but re-classified for 2021. In the final game of his high school career, he took a perfect game into the seventh inning and hit the go-ahead home run to give Madison High the Virginia 6A state championship. Cubs scouting director Dan Kantrovitz was in attendance, and three weeks later the Cubs drafted Triantos in the second round. He signed for an above-slot $2.1 million.
  
  Scouting Report: Triantos is a precocious hitter who possesses elite bat speed and an innate feel for the barrel. He consistently squares pitches up and drives them hard to all fields. He complements his physical abilities with a keen sense for making adjustments and solid plate discipline, helping him project to be a plus hitter with average power. A shortstop in high school, Triantos is now a second baseman and has a lot of work to do defensively. His hands and feet get disconnected and the game frequently speeds up on him, leading to sloppy errors. His above-average arm strength is negated by a poor arm action.
  
  The Future: Triantos projects to hit enough to overshadow his defensive shortcomings. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #58 prospect in 2021 draft
  Triantos wasn’t scouted heavily last summer because at the time he was a member of the 2022 high school class, ranking as a top-50 prospect in the prep group. In the fall, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound shortstop reclassified for 2021 and he’s had an excellent season for an impressive Madison High club in Vienna, Va. Triantos is a North Carolina commit, but there’s a chance he doesn’t make it to Chapel Hill given his performance this spring, though the industry does seem a bit split on him, perhaps because of his more limited scouting history. Triantos is a bat-first infielder whom scouts think could develop into a plus hitter with solid power potential. He swings with intent, has solid bat speed and has improved his body over the offseason, though he’s filled out at the moment and doesn’t project for a ton more physically. He’s a solid athlete and a plus runner now, though that run grade could back up as he continues to mature. Defensively, he has plus arm strength that would work for shortstop, but most scouts seem to think he’ll be a better fit at second or third base, where he’ll provide solid glovework. Triantos has touched 96 mph on the mound with a good breaking ball and below-average changeup and cutter, but most teams prefer his upside as a hitter. For teams high on his bat, he could be picked among the top-two rounds.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #6 prospect in 2021
  The Cubs selected Triantos in the second round and went over slot to sign him for $2.1 million. The Virginia high school product looked overmatched in his first couple of ACL games but quickly adjusted to the speed of the game, showing off his plus bat with a strong swing capable of driving balls to all fields with average to above-average power. Triantos saved the best for last, posting a 1.199 OPS in September with a two-homer game in the season finale. Scouts observed that defensively the game still got too fast for Triantos, questioning whether he will be better suited to second base or third base rather than shortstop, but he’s athletic enough to improve as his career progresses. He showed average speed in his first pro season. Triantos’ makeup is solid, and he projects as a prospect who will play above his tools as he progresses through the system.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Triantos starred as both a pitcher and hitter in high school and was one of the top players in the 2022 draft class before he reclassified to be eligible for the 2021 draft. The Cubs drafted him in the second round and signed him for an above-slot $2.1 million to forgo a North Carolina commitment. Triantos made his full-season debut with Low-A Myrtle Beach in 2022 and led the Carolina League with 124 hits, but his lack of a clear position made him a divisive prospect.
  
  Scouting Report: Triantos is one of the best pure hitters in the Cubs organization. He has a quick, compact righthanded swing with a heavy barrel that results in a lot of hard contact. He has a sharp eye for the strike zone and rarely strikes out, giving him the swing and approach to be an above-average hitter. Triantos primarily drives balls from gap to gap, but he projects to get stronger with age and grow into average power. A shortstop when he was drafted, Triantos gained weight and now has a pudgy build with limited athleticism. He is a well below-average defender at third base with a slow first step and poor balance, and he lacks the range or agility to play second base. Some Cubs officials want to move him to catcher, where his above-average arm strength will play.
  
  The Future: Triantos has the bat to be an everyday player, but he needs to find a defensive home. That will be his main goal at High-A South Bend in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 40. Fielding: 30. Arm: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Triantos starred as both a pitcher and hitter in high school and was one of the top players in the 2022 draft class before he reclassified to be eligible for the 2021 draft. The Cubs drafted him in the second round and signed him for an above-slot $2.1 million to forgo a North Carolina commitment. Triantos made his full-season debut with Low-A Myrtle Beach in 2022 and led the Carolina League with 124 hits, but his lack of a clear position made him a divisive prospect.
  
  Scouting Report: Triantos is one of the best pure hitters in the Cubs organization. He has a quick, compact righthanded swing with a heavy barrel that results in a lot of hard contact. He has a sharp eye for the strike zone and rarely strikes out, giving him the swing and approach to be an above-average hitter. Triantos primarily drives balls from gap to gap, but he projects to get stronger with age and grow into average power. A shortstop when he was drafted, Triantos gained weight and now has a pudgy build with limited athleticism. He is a well below-average defender at third base with a slow first step and poor balance, and he lacks the range or agility to play second base. Some Cubs officials want to move him to catcher, where his above-average arm strength will play.
  
  The Future: Triantos has the bat to be an everyday player, but he needs to find a defensive home. That will be his main goal at High-A South Bend in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 40. Fielding: 30. Arm: 55.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/Very High
  
  Track Record: Triantos was originally part of the 2022 draft class but re-classified for 2021. In the final game of his high school career, he took a perfect game into the seventh inning and hit the go-ahead home run to give Madison High the Virginia 6A state championship. Cubs scouting director Dan Kantrovitz was in attendance, and three weeks later the Cubs drafted Triantos in the second round. He signed for an above-slot $2.1 million.
  
  Scouting Report: Triantos is a precocious hitter who possesses elite bat speed and an innate feel for the barrel. He consistently squares pitches up and drives them hard to all fields. He complements his physical abilities with a keen sense for making adjustments and solid plate discipline, helping him project to be a plus hitter with average power. A shortstop in high school, Triantos is now a second baseman and has a lot of work to do defensively. His hands and feet get disconnected and the game frequently speeds up on him, leading to sloppy errors. His above-average arm strength is negated by a poor arm action.
  
  The Future: Triantos projects to hit enough to overshadow his defensive shortcomings. He&#39ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Triantos was originally part of the 2022 draft class but re-classified for 2021. In the final game of his high school career, he took a perfect game into the seventh inning and hit the go-ahead home run to give Madison High the Virginia 6A state championship. Cubs scouting director Dan Kantrovitz was in attendance, and three weeks later the Cubs drafted Triantos in the second round. He signed for an above-slot $2.1 million.
  
  Scouting Report: Triantos is a precocious hitter who possesses elite bat speed and an innate feel for the barrel. He consistently squares pitches up and drives them hard to all fields. He complements his physical abilities with a keen sense for making adjustments and solid plate discipline, helping him project to be a plus hitter with average power. A shortstop in high school, Triantos is now a second baseman and has a lot of work to do defensively. His hands and feet get disconnected and the game frequently speeds up on him, leading to sloppy errors. His above-average arm strength is negated by a poor arm action.
  
  The Future: Triantos projects to hit enough to overshadow his defensive shortcomings. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  The Cubs selected Triantos in the second round and went over slot to sign him for $2.1 million. The Virginia high school product looked overmatched in his first couple of ACL games but quickly adjusted to the speed of the game, showing off his plus bat with a strong swing capable of driving balls to all fields with average to above-average power. Triantos saved the best for last, posting a 1.199 OPS in September with a two-homer game in the season finale. Scouts observed that defensively the game still got too fast for Triantos, questioning whether he will be better suited to second base or third base rather than shortstop, but he’s athletic enough to improve as his career progresses. He showed average speed in his first pro season. Triantos’ makeup is solid, and he projects as a prospect who will play above his tools as he progresses through the system.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Triantos wasn't scouted heavily last summer because at the time he was a member of the 2022 high school class, ranking as a top-50 prospect in the prep group. In the fall, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound shortstop reclassified for 2021 and he's had an excellent season for an impressive Madison High club in Vienna, Va. Triantos is a North Carolina commit, but there's a chance he doesn't make it to Chapel Hill given his performance this spring, though the industry does seem a bit split on him, perhaps because of his more limited scouting history. Triantos is a bat-first infielder whom scouts think could develop into a plus hitter with solid power potential. He swings with intent, has solid bat speed and has improved his body over the offseason, though he's filled out at the moment and doesn't project for a ton more physically. He's a solid athlete and a plus runner now, though that run grade could back up as he continues to mature. Defensively, he has plus arm strength that would work for shortstop, but most scouts seem to think he'll be a better fit at second or third base, where he'll provide solid glovework. Triantos has touched 96 mph on the mound with a good breaking ball and below-average changeup and cutter, but most teams prefer his upside as a hitter.