KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the second year in a row, the Chicago Cubs are getting really strong production from their catching duo. Last summer, Carson Kelly’s red-hot offensive start to the season paved the way for a year in which the Cubs were tied for seventh in wRC+ (110) and alone in seventh for WAR (4.3, FanGraphs) for their catchers.This season, their catchers are once again similarly productive. The duo of Kelly and Miguel Amaya is tied for third in wRC+ (108) and 10th in WAR (2.5). After an oblique strain and then an ankle sprain limited Amaya to just 28 games last season, he’s bounced back to have a healthy and strong season as Kelly’s backup.“He’s had a good offensive year,” manager Craig Counsell said Sunday, after Amaya went 2-for-5 with a home run in Chicago’s win over the Kansas City Royals. “When you don’t play that much and play at the frequency Miggy’s playing, the offensive year he’s having, that’s a really good year.”Amaya has played in 64 games to Kelly’s 88. He’s rarely started back-to-back games this season, a situation that’s hardly ideal when it comes to getting in a rhythm at the plate. But Amaya has continued to produce. He seems to be growing at the plate as well. His swing decisions have improved as his chase rate has dropped 6 points from last season to 29.5 percent, leading to a career-best 9.8 percent walk rate.Amaya also has taken a step forward defensively this season. He has a caught-stealing rate of 32.1 percent, a career high, and his framing is above average for the first time in his short career. Pitchers also commend Amaya for his work behind the plate and in between games prepping for starts. He’s showing the type of growth the Cubs needed to see to trust that at some point in the future, he could handle the role full time.Miguel Amaya homered Sunday in Kansas City. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)With a chance to do real damage in the postseason, the Cubs are focused on 2026, but they’re also not ignoring the future. Kelly is an impending free agent, and though the Cubs won’t rule out a reunion, they’re also preparing for a 2027 without their current starter behind the plate. With that in mind, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity in exchange for candor, there’s a chance Triple-A catcher Owen Ayers could find some time with the big-league club this season, maybe when rosters expand Sept. 1, or perhaps a little before.The Cubs like having young players on their roster at the end of the season to learn from veterans. Ayers, whom the Cubs value highly and was asked about frequently by other teams at the trade deadline, could gain knowledge just from being around the club down the stretch. Being in meetings with Kelly and Amaya and seeing how they go about business is important for Ayers’ development. Experiencing a pennant chase and watching veterans handle the day-to-day grind matters.But Ayers could also get some playing time, giving one of the catchers a breather. Winning, of course, will take precedence over player development in September, but there could be some limited playing time for Ayers, depending on where the Cubs are in the standings or other circumstances, such as a blowout he could get into.Ayers, who turned 25 on June 7, has a 163 wRC+ across three minor-league levels this season. At Triple A, he has a 116 wRC+ in 19 games. His walk rate has stayed high (15.4 percent), and his strikeouts haven’t jumped at all, but his power (.106 ISO, one home run) hasn’t yet actualized at that level. Still, the Cubs remain bullish on his profile. This continues Ayers’ offensive breakout from the Arizona Fall League last year, when he posted a 1.130 OPS.Scouts rave about his athleticism behind the plate, and he’s shown to be quite adept at controlling the running game. Some might point to his age as a potential negative. Those questions are fair to an extent, but it’s important to remember catchers do tend to develop later in their careers.It would be unfair to do a one-to-one comparison, but the Detroit Tigers’ Dillon Dingler, arguably the best catcher in the big leagues right now, was never on public prospect top-100 lists and didn’t reach the majors until his age-25 season. That would be a dream outcome for the Cubs and Ayers.With Kelly, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and numerous starting pitchers impending free agents, the Cubs will have to be thoughtful about whom the team brings back and where it spends its money. The belief is much of Chicago’s investments, either prospect capital or actual money, will go toward pitching. In a weak free-agent class for position players, Suzuki might quickly get priced out of the Cubs’ plans.Ruling out a return for Kelly now would be a mistake, and they could always pair Amaya with another, cheaper veteran. Still, Ayers is seen as a big part of the future, and the Cubs would be wise to get a jump start on his big-league acclimation in case they need him to be part of next year’s club.