The Chicago Cubs seem pretty much set when it comes to their starting, non-pitching roster. But if there’s one minor area of debate and uncertainty, it lies with the every day designated hitter spot.
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As of right now, it appears that the Cubs’ top ranked prospect Moises Ballesteros is being targeted as the man for that job.
And, really, why wouldn’t he be?
Moises Ballesteros is a hitting savant
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The 22-year-old lefty has been a hitting savant throughout his run in the Cubs farm system, carried through each level of the organization on the weight of his bat alone. He was Chicago’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024, again, carried there entirely by his bit.
Last season, in a small sample size of 66 regular season plate appearances over three separate call-ups, he slashed .298/.394/.474. Down the stretch, he turned a lot of heads, hitting .333 (with a .435 OBP) in the month of September, offsetting the loss of Kyle Tucker, usually working from the middle of the lineup.
But Ballesteros IS a rookie with much more modest success against left-handed pitching. He also has defensive issues, probably with a ceiling of “adequate” at catcher and first base if used sparingly.
All of that leads to the questions of where and how to use the young hitter.
Where will he hit in the Cubs lineup?
In terms of his placement in the lineup, most everyone agrees that he will get every opportunity to click at DH. There is a difference of opinion, however, in where to place him in the order.
Cubs beat writer Bruce Levine, in a recent appearance on “Mully and Haugh” on 104.3 The Score, feels that Chicago will stick him right into the heart of the lineup:
“If you’re not paying attention to Moises Ballesteros and him batting third or fourth in that lineup this year, then you’re not paying attention…I would say right in the middle, between 3 and 5…This is a guy who is, potentially, one of the top young hitters in the National League…”
David Haugh, co-host of “Mully and Haugh” disagreed with Levine:
“I have high hopes for the kid, too, but third our fourth on a playoff team…I don’t know. That’s expecting a lot…I don’t know why he would bat higher the seventh.”
Haugh’s reasoning is solid. With so many more proven bats in the lineup, why would they feature a rookie in such a prominent spot?
However, there’s also an argument to be made for aiding Ballesteros’ progression by sticking him between established players to ensure he gets more good pitches to hit.
Cubs have confidence in top prospect
Whatever the case, the Cubs seem confident in the young star and are pointing to last year’s successes as proof positive of his “realness.”
“We kind of asked a lot of him,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told media during January’s Cubs Convention. “You saw where he was hitting in the lineup at times. I think that is a sign of a lot of confidence in a young hitter. He showed us a lot.”
As for where he might play defensively, the answer may be that he won’t be playing much in the field.
Positioned as the third catcher on the team and the second or third first baseman, he’ll likely be used exclusively as an emergency fill-in or as an in-game replacement for games that are out of reach.
Among experts and analysts, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding Ballesteros and it’ll be interesting to see how this season shapes up for him.
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