The Chicago Cubs have few hitters in the minor leagues right now that can rival Moises Ballesteros. For all the questions about his future behind the plate, the team's #4 prospect has shown both in the regular season and the Arizona Fall League that he's worthy of recognition for his offense alone, even landing a spot as a designated hitter on the all-MiLB prospect team. It's a matter of when, not if, he'll be up in the majors in 2025 and how he'll be incorporated into the mix when that time comes to get the most out of that bat.
If it wasn't already clear just how good he was at the plate, MLB Pipeline delivered a reminder with a new ranking and article from Sam Dykstra discussing the best catching prospects around the league. For the second straight year, Ballesteros made the list, ranking tenth overall behind Edgar Quero of the White Sox and Harry Ford of the Mariners. Topping the list are the usual suspects - Orioles backstop Samuel Basallo, Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing, and newly acquired White Sox prospect Kyle Teel.
Last year at this time, Ballesteros ranked a bit higher at #8, but his fall isn't too much of a surprise given the talent at the position in the minors. His placement is made entirely due to his bat given how much concern there is about his future as a catcher. What makes this placement even more inspiring, however, is that he topped all catching prospects with the best hit tool at 60. That's considered a plus rating and, given that he's only 21, Dykstra sees Ballesteros as a candidate to hit .300 in the majors when he reaches his peak.
To put that in perspective, Matt Shaw, the team's consensus top prospect who those both in and outside of the organization see as a potentially special hitter, was only graded with a 55 hit tool in 2024. Ballesteros also boasts a 50 power tool, reflecting his potential to slug. That all tracks with what was his best offensive season to date, with a collective .289/.354/.471 slash line with 19 home runs between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa.
What really inspires optimism in Ballesteros is his plate discipline. Even in Iowa, he maintained a healthy 21.1 percent strikeout rate and 8.1 percent walk rate despite his limited experience with the level. With more experience at the level, there's hope those numbers can further improve.
The Cubs are set up to let Moises Ballesteros succeed
Until he comes up and proves it though, the question will remain what the glove holds with the Cubs' prized catching prospect. Rumblings internally have indicated the organization isn't confident in Ballesteros' viability as a starter behind the plate, though Jed Hoyer has also attested to his improvement defensively over time. The good news is they've set themselves up well to accommodate his development, however long it takes.
Miguel Amaya is still entrenched as the team's starting catcher, but they also made good on their intentions to give him a partner by signing Carson Kelly. Having another competent backstop in the fold lessens the need for urgency with Ballesteros, but they also brought veteran Carlos Perez into the fold as depth in case of injuries. This means that barring a total emergency, Ballesteros will have all the runway needed to further hone his bat and, more importantly, his glove, in preparation for his MLB debut. If he forces the issue, the Cubs can make room and mete out at-bats between catcher and DH.
The future is looking awfully close for the Cubs between Shaw and Ballesteros. They both have a chance to be massive contributors on a team that should hopefully finally be on the rise.