This season, the Chicago Cubs have one of the most vibrant farm systems in baseball, but of their many bright spots, one talented bat is stealing the show.
The Cubs’ No. 4 prospect (No. 65 overall), Moises Ballesteros, is on a tear, slashing an astonishing .388/.447/.582 with two home runs through 67 at-bats in Triple-A this season. Known for his contact-hitting abilities, his MLB scouting report lauds his bat-to-ball skills as among the best in the minor leagues. Combining his prowess for contact-hitting with his ample power, Ballesteros’ presence at the plate is nothing less than menacing.
For two consecutive years (2023-24), Ballesteros has won the club’s Minor League Player of the Year Award, hitting .287 with 33 home runs in 875 at-bats over that span. At just 21, Ballesteros appears ready for his big league callup.
But there’s one problem.
In his professional career, Ballesteros has spent time at two positions: catcher and first base. Given his lack of both agility and speed, his defense behind the dish has sorely disappointed. Ballesteros recorded 13 passed balls in 72 games last year while runners consistently stole bases on his watch. This came in addition to seven errors.
Given his struggles as a backstop, scouts believe he is better suited at first base; but there are even doubts about this. Given his 5-foot-8 stature, there are questions surrounding his length of reach. His scouting report accurately equates him to Joe Judge (5-foot-8); the last player of 5-foot-8 height or shorter to play at least 100 games at first base in a single season having done so in 1930. That said, Ballesteros seems best-suited as a DH.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear the Cubs have an opening for Ballesteros. Michael Busch has first base locked down and Seiya Suzuki is firmly entrenched as the DH. Given his obstacles to becoming a full-time player on the Cubs’ roster, we can likely expect Ballesteros to stay in Triple-A for the time being.
At most, it seems Ballesteros is raising his trade value, that is unless the Cubs plan to keep him around after 2026 when Suzuki’s contract expires.
