The Chicago Cubs know that no. 1 ranked prospect Moises Ballesteros can hit. The experts and analysts almost universally agree that the kid’s bat will carry over into major league play.
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The 22-year-old, after all, has risen through the Cubs’ farm system– winning Cubs Minor League Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024– on the weight of his bat, alone. He’s also expected to make the Opening Day major league roster as a bat-first prospect, playing a role as the team’s primary DH.
Last season, in a small sample size of 66 regular season plate appearances sprinkled out over three call-ups, the lefty slashed .298/.394/.474. In the month of September, he really turned heads with a .333 batting average and a .435 OBP, essentially providing the offense an injured Kyle Tucker couldn’t deliver, often placed in the middle of the Cubs lineup.
The question with Ballesteros, though, is defense.
Ballesteros as a catcher: So far, so good
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A catcher by designation, with experience at first base, his defense has lagged far behind his offense. It’s been an aspect to his game that he’s worked on diligently, even trimming as much as 20 lbs. off his squat frame to help with his agility and speed.
On this 2026 Cubs team, where versatility is highly prioritized, Ballesteros will be asked to play the field, at the very least as a third catcher behind Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya and as a backup first baseman behind Michael Busch. So, there’s an added emphasis this spring in getting the young talent some extra time behind the plate.
And…so far, so good.
While catching Edward Cabrera in Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Venezuelan made three successful ABS challenges, turning three balls into three strikes.
Ballesteros’ keen eye and feel for the strike zone did not go unnoticed.
“I was shocked [at the successful challenges],” Cabrera told reporters after the game, via interpreter. “Having a catcher who sees the zone that well gives me a lot of confidence, especially in tight counts. He did a great job guiding me through those innings.”
“It motivates me to prove people wrong”
By all accounts, Ballesteros is a hard worker and a positive, goal-oriented young man. He’s made it clear that working on his catching is a priority this spring.
“It motivates me to prove people wrong — to prove that I am a good catcher and not just a hitter,” Ballesteros told Cubs beat writer Bruce Levine.
Chicago’s coaching staff doesn’t doubt that he’ll work his way into being the catcher they expect him to be.
“Experience catching is a real goal for him and in the drill work exposure to good players, that was the goal,” manager Craig Counsell told The Chicago Tribune. “He’s not a finished product catching so we just want him to keep taking strides, and a lot of it’s just receiving work, receiving work, receiving work…He has very good instincts for the game so that part of it he’s very capable, it’s not a development goal. That part he will be very good at.”
If his bat turns out to be as good as projected over a full season, he may not need to be a stellar defensive catcher. But the goal will always be to develop a prospect into the best possible player he can be.
In Ballesteros’ case, anything above and beyond his hitting will be an absolute plus.
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