Ballesteros’ stock rising after huge season

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- The Cubs knew that the Triple-A level would offer tests on multiple fronts for catching prospect Moises Ballesteros. Not only would it be another step up for his promising bat, but it would offer him a chance to work with an older class of pitchers -- including plenty who had Major League experience.

“That’s a quick and tough jump for a young catcher,” Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler said. “He’s been tested substantially this year with that jump and he’s handled well.”

Ballesteros is nearing the end of a standout season that has pushed him beyond merely the Cubs’ prospect radar and into the broader Pipeline spotlight. The 20-year-old has ascended to No. 41 on Pipeline’s Top 100 list this year, and he checks in as the sixth-ranked catcher. Ballesteros is the No. 4 prospect on the Cubs’ Top 30 list.

The offensive potential has always been the exciting aspect of Ballesteros, who was signed out of Venezuela by the Cubs in January 2021. That was a big reason behind the Cubs naming Ballesteros the team’s recipient of the ‘23 Buck O’Neil Minor League Player of the Year. The catcher continued to see his stock rise with this season’s steady output.

“What he’s done at the plate this year is obviously exciting,” Kanzler said. “But what doesn't get talked about a lot is he's actually improved quite a bit on defense. He's still got some work to do, but we can't discount the work he's done on the other side of the ball and the improvements he's made.

“He's able to catch the ball, block the ball, he can throw guys out. His framing is getting better. So I think he's really working hard to make himself more of a complete catching option in the big leagues for the future, and that's exciting.”

Ballesteros hit .299/.372/.495 with nine homers and 43 RBIs in 56 games for Double-A Tennessee to start this season, before being moved up to Triple-A Iowa on June 18. Through 60 games with the I-Cubs, he has hit .273/.335/.455 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs. For the season, he has an .825 OPS with an 18.7% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate.

The Cubs have given Ballesteros 66 starts behind the plate, but they have kept his bat in the lineup regularly via the designated hitter duties (39 starts) and first base (eight starts). Kanzler said the young catcher has shown a lot of maturity in how he has increasingly embraced his defensive work throughout the year behind the scenes.

“He understands the value of it, which has led to mostly everything improving,” Kanzler said. “And that’s just because he’s taking it seriously. I think he realizes that -- or he’s been told enough at this point -- his bat is his carry tool, but he can be so much more if the defense is Major League ready.”