Craig Counsell has one last move to elevate Moises Ballesteros' Cubs breakout

The Chicago Cubs' offense has started to show signs of life, and it's no coincidence that this is tied to Moisés Ballesteros finding his footing. Throughout spring training, it was made clear that Craig Counsell believes in his hit tool, but his struggles to open the season led to a rush to judgment by some.

If anything, it's a reminder that 20 plate appearances is far from a sufficient sample size to use when suggesting roster changes. Ballesteros flashed signs of being an impact hitter for the Cubs last September, and we're starting to see that version of him this season.

Through his first 42 plate appearances this season, the 22-year-old designated hitter is slashing .342/.381/.526 with a wRC+ of 153 and 2 home runs. It's likely the reason the Cubs weren't overly concerned about his struggles to start the season, and it's why a return to Triple-A Iowa to work on his development as a catcher was never realistic, given the goals for the 2026 season.

Along those lines, Ballesteros has only has two innings of work as a catcher this season. That likely will change when the Cubs have extended stretches of games with no off days, but his role with the team is always going to be due to his bat. As long as he is hitting, Ballesteros is going to have a spot in the team's starting lineup.

What's next for Moises Ballesteros?

For as good as Ballesteros has been, there is an interesting quirk that has taken place since he had an extended run with the big-league club last season. Only 4 of his 62 plate appearances last season were against left-handed pitchers. This season, only two of his plate appearances have come against southpaws.

Counsell does lean into handedness when making lineup decisions, and that was the case on Tuesday night when Ballesteros was pulled in favor of Matt Shaw when the Phillies brought in a lefty. It's early, but there should be some consideration for Ballesteros to get a left against lefties. Ballesteros is trending toward being one of the best bats in the Cubs' starting lineup, and with that, it should be the expectation that he is in the lineup every day.

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