Don't be fooled by this Cubs player's lack of immediate success

When it was reported that the Chicago Cubs would be promoting their top catching prospect, Moises Ballesteros, many folks were looking forward to "Mo-Baller" as he's called, getting his first chance in the MLB.

Ballesteros was brought up to replace an injured Ian Happ. With Happ's return to the Cubs lineup on Tuesday, Ballesteros has been optioned back to Triple-A Iowa, where he will continue to get everyday at-bats.

On the surface, it would appear that he struggled a lot, as would be shown by his .188 average and -0.2 WAR. In reality, though, Ballesteros showed flashes and made it known that he will be an excellent hitter in the major leagues for years to come.

He had an expected batting average of .266, according to his Baseball Savant page. Along with those numbers, Ballesteros struck out just one time, compared to two walks. He had a whiff rate of just 12.5% and a squared-up rate of 34.5%. The hits weren't falling, but he was putting together quality at-bats for the most part when he stepped up to the plate.

Ballesteros saw 73 pitches in 16 at-bats, good for an average of 4.56 pitches per at-bat, His approach at the plate showed that he was more than ready to be a contributor at the major league level and it is almost a certainty that he will be back up in the league at some point again this season.

He collected the first hit and RBI of his career in Friday's win against the Chicago White Sox and there will be plenty more swings like it in the future for Ballesteros.

Chicago is going to have to make a decision at the conclusion of the season surrounding what its catching situation will look like in 2026.

Miguel Amaya still has arbitration years left, Carson Kelly is under contract, and Ballesteros will be basically beating down the door for every day playing time in the major league lineup. The most likely outcome, and most unfortunate, is that Kyle Tucker leaves in free agency, Seiya Suzuki returns to right field, and Ballesteros is the full-time designated hitter in 2026.

Regardless of what the outcome is, nobody should be concerned with the less-than-impressive stats from Ballesteros in his first MLB stint. The bat is going to play, and it's going to play for a long time in the major leagues.