Moises Ballesteros turning heads in Cubs spring training for unexpected reason

There are plenty of reasons for Chicago Cubs fans to be excited about Moises Ballesteros. Now the Cubs' No. 1 prospect, Ballesteros' bat has received high praise since he was a teenager, and his .294/.394/.474 20-game cup of coffee last season only validated the reports of an advanced, well-rounded hitter.

The 22-year-old is one of the top breakout candidates on Chicago's roster, and his offensive potential is a major reason why. The two-time Cubs Minor Leaguer of the Year winner is expected to be almost exclusively a DH in 2026, adding amplified pressure to hit the ground running in the batter's box.

The scouting report on Ballesteros has always been down on his defense at catcher. Despite his soft hands and 195-pound listed weight, the youngster is likely much heavier and has serious questions as to whether or not he has the athleticism to be even an acceptable defender behind the plate.

The stats back up the criticisms. Ballesteros gave up 92 stolen bases and allowed seven passed balls in 71 games in Iowa last year. But not all are in agreement. Some think that the weight concerns are overblown and that with a little polish, Ballesteros' glove could be just fine at catcher.

Rival scout aschews defensive concerns about Cubs' top prospect Moises Ballesteros

Bruce Levine went on The Score and shared some insights he gained from a conversation with a rival scout about Ballesteros and his defensive viability at catcher.

"Number one, don't worry about his weight as much as look at him as the baseball athlete he is at his weight. Make sure the dietary part is good, but don't ask this guy [Ballesteros] to lose 20 or 25 pounds. You might lose the pop in his bat if you do that. So, from that perspective, it was good to hear from someone outside the organization who thinks not only is he going to be an outstanding hitter, but that he's going to be a better catcher," Levine said, recounting his conversation with the scout.

He then relayed that the scout compared Ballesteros to Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, as a player with a similar body type (Kirk is listed at five-foot-eight, 245 pounds) who has developed into a really good defensive catcher. Kirk posted a fielding run value of 22 last season, second among all big league backstops. It might not happen right away, but there's a belief that Ballesteros could eventually reach the same heights.

One scout's opinion isn't the end-all, be-all, but he's right about one thing: if Ballesteros puts in the work, he could be a positive behind the plate as well as a middle-of-the-order bat. That won't happen in 2026, as he'll be the third-string catcher, but he's still so young that it would be silly to peg him as a DH-only player for the duration of his career.

There are a lot of acceptable outcomes between borderline unplayable at catcher and one of the best in the majors at the position, meaning the likelihood of Ballesteros providing an awesome two-way value proposition is extremely high.