Moises Ballesteros has quickly shaken off his cold start and is back to hitting

Yeah, Moises Ballesteros is back.

After starting the year with just three hits and eight strikeouts in 22 plate appearances (.377 OPS), he's bounced back in resounding fashion, going 7-for-14 with just one punchout in his last five games, doing everything he can to help pull the Chicago Cubs' offense out of its early-season funk.

The 22-year-old continued his hot hitting Sunday, taking full advantage of hitter-friendly conditions at Wrigley Field with a deep home run to center field, his second on the year. That solo shot pulled the Cubs within three at 5-2, setting the stage for a dramatic come-from-behind victory that staved off a sweep at the hands of the division-rival Pirates.

He might not have a defensive home, but the fact he made the team out of camp despite that fact tells you that Cubs brass believe he's going to hit. His hit tools are widely noted as being among the best in the rookie class and if he can put it together for 162, he's got a shot at making some noise in the NL Rookie of the Year fight.

There's no secret to the Cubs' Moises Ballesteros' success at the plate

Craig Counsell has done his best to protect Ballesteros from left-handed pitching this year (all but two of his ABs have come against right-handers) but with the likes of Miguel Amaya and Matt Shaw available to slide into the equation against southpaws, that's not a huge concern. Long-term, sure, you'd like to see him get those chances, but at just 22, there's plenty of time for that.

Ballesteros continues to find barrels and hit the ball hard - and the results have followed. Given how shaky the offense, as a whole, has been, he needs to be hitting in the top half of the order when there are right-handers on the mound, especially heading into a challenging run of schedule here in the back half of April.

“He’s been an exceptional hitter,” Craig Counsell said late last year. “That’s the best development for Moisés, really, is that he’s come up to the big leagues and shown everybody what a natural hitter he is, (while being) put in the fire against some tough, tough competition. The rest is a bonus.”

He turned heads last year when he put up a near-1.000 OPS in September, leaving a lasting impression on teammates and staff alike. Now, he's building on that in his first full big-league season and rewarding the Cubs' faith in him in a big way.