James Triantos – Wherever They Feel I’m Needed

Living up to expectations is never an easy thing for a person. For and athlete, it can be even harder.

And if you are picked in the second round by a storied franchise, such as the Chicago Cubs, those expectations get even higher.

That’s a lot of weight for a teenager. But in the case of James Triantos, he has handled those expectations well.

The Cubs selected the high school shortstop from Vienna, Virginia with the 56th overall pick in 2021. After signing, Triantos joined the Arizona Rookie league, batting .327/.378/.594/.970 with 6 home runs and 19 RBI in just 25 games. While playing both shortstop and second base, the 18-year old pushed expectations higher.

In his first full season of professional ball in 2022, Triantos moved over to third base for Single-A Myrtle Beach. Triantos continued to show that he was a force at the plate. In 113 games, Triantos slashed .272/.335/.386/.721 with 7 homers and 50 RBI, adding 20 stolen bases. However, his fielding at third was an issue, with only a .900 fielding average and 19 errors.

The 2023 season was limited for Triantos, as he appeared in only 83 games. But in those games, we saw a developing talent. In decreasing his strikeouts, and increasing his walks, Triantos was able to maintain his plate presence while leveling up to High-A South Bend. For the year, Triantos hit .287/.364/.391/.755. His power numbers dipped to 4 home runs, and he had 48 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Defense continued to be a challenge for Triantos, As he moved primarily to second base while seeing his first action in the outfield.

In a trip to the Arizona Fall League following the season, Triantos wowed observers by batting .417 with 9 stolen bases in 22 games while being used all over the field.

Moving up the ladder in 2024, Triantos added another element to his game. While posting a .300/.345/.437/.782 slash line at Double-A Tennessee, Triantos added 38 stolen bases. Earning a promotion to Triple-A Iowa, Triantos had another nine stolen bases while maintaining his batting average. Triantos was also contributing 7 home runs and 52 RBI to his totals. Tightening up his defense, Triantos had a respectable .975 fielding percentage at second base.

What has been an important element in his development is the high level of talent that has surrounded Triantos. Playing alongside Pete Crow-Armstrong, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara, and Matt Shaw has allowed Triantos to develop his own game. “I’m very grateful to play with these guys”, Triantos stated. “It’s nice to know who has your back. You go fight for each other.”

With Triantos succeeding at every level since signing, the expectations for 2025 were sky high. There was hope the 22-year old would be able to make contributions at the big league level.

“Baseball is hard”, said Triantos in a recent interview. “The game will weigh on you sometimes. You play 130 a year. It’s sometimes is frustrating. But, you have to love the game, but sometimes it gets hard.”

And those hard times seemed to come this season. Playing in 109 games, Triantos struggled for the first time at the plate. Hitting only .259/.315/.372/.687, Triantos posted his lowest line of his career. “There are a lot of things I can get better at. I can swing at better pitches, take advantage of some more pitches over the plate”, Triantos admitted.

But two things began to emerge in his game throughout the season. Triantos continued to be a base-running threat, swiping 30 bases. And after the promotion of outfielder Kevin Alcantara, Triantos moved to centerfield, and has played well.

With both the infield and outfield stacked with talent for the Cubs, finding a niche for Triantos moving forward will be a challenge.

“Wherever they feel I’m needed. I want to contribute to a team and help them win.”