This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian's Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CHICAGO -- When star outfielder Kyle Tucker was shelved due to a right calf strain in September, it was not just a chance for rookie Moisés Ballesteros to get some at-bats off the Cubs’ bench. Manager Craig Counsell had the talented prospect in the starting lineup and batting cleanup for a significant stretch.
“We kind of asked a lot of him,” Counsell said during Cubs Convention earlier this month. “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.”
COMPLETE CUBS PROSPECT COVERAGE
It is no surprise that the 22-year-old Ballesteros will begin this season as MLB Pipeline’s top Cubs prospect and ranked No. 55 on the Top 100 list. The catcher is one of two Chicago farmhands in that larger ranking, a few spots ahead of right-hander Jaxon Wiggins (No. 58). While Wiggins could push for an MLB debut this summer, Ballesteros is poised to impact Chicago right away.
Slugging outfielder Owen Caissie was the Cubs’ top prospect, but the North Siders sent him to the Marlins in a package to acquire hard-throwing righty Edward Cabrera to boost the rotation. With Caissie out of the offensive mix in Chicago, Ballesteros has a clearer path to regular at-bats as part of Counsell’s designated hitter options.
Ballesteros also gives the Cubs another catching option behind Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, and the prospect also has some experience at first base.
“There’s a lot of ways to use him,” Counsell said. “His bat, he showed he can – at a young age – be a designated hitter. That bat is good enough to be a designated hitter. The catching thing, he’s going to catch more, for sure, this year. The offense and the left-handedness of the offense is something that we need.”
Ballesteros had a few stints with the Cubs last season at various points, but he really settled in over the final month. He acknowledged that the increase in playing time and experience did wonders for calming his nerves and making him feel more comfortable and confident at the plate.
Overall, Ballesteros slashed .298/.394/.474 with two home runs, two doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs, nine walks and 12 runs in 20 games with the North Siders. In 14 games in September while helping fill in for Tucker during the Cubs’ late-season push to the playoffs, Ballesteros hit at a .333 clip with four extra-base hits, five RBIs, seven walks, nine runs and a .999 OPS.
That performance came after Ballesteros slashed .316/.385/.473 with 13 homers, 29 doubles, 76 RBIs and 49 walks (compared to 67 strikeouts) in 114 games with Triple-A Iowa last season. His skills as an offensive player carried him up the Minor League ladder and quickly translated into big league success with experience.
“There’s a lot of contact, and the ball went all over the field,” Counsell said. “That was probably the two things that impressed me, is that just where the ball went. He doesn’t have to pull a ball. It’s going everywhere with all types of pitches, and then there’s just a lot of contact. That’s generally just a good formula. Hits it hard.
“Those are all three really good things to do that make you tough to defend, and he’s doing it again at a really young age.”