Moises Ballesteros A Prospect Due To Catch On With Chicago Cubs

Moises Ballesteros, at 5-foot-8 and 215 pounds, likely would not be picked out of a crowd of 21-year-old males as a professional baseball player. Put him on a ballfield with a bat in his hands and it is different story.

The Chicago Cubs ignored looks and embraced results when they gave the Venezuelan a $1.2 million signing bonus as a 16-year-old in 2020. They have watched Ballesteros hit his way from level to level. In his first spring camp with the big-league team this year, he hit .350 (7-for-20) with 2 homers and 3 RBI in 10 games.

“We know he can hit,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He needs experience in all areas and he’s a willing worker. That’s a good start.”

The left-handed hitter was sent to the minor-league camp on March 9. A week later in the Spring Breakout game against Los Angeles Angels prospects, Ballesteros went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI, going 1-for-2 in throwing out runners.

“Experience catching is a real goal for him and in the drill work exposure to good players, that was the goal,” Counsell told The Chicago Tribune. “He’s not a finished product catching so we just want him to keep taking strides, and a lot of it’s just receiving work, receiving work, receiving work. … He has very good instincts for the game so that part of it he’s very capable, it’s not a development goal. That part he will be very good at.”

A year ago in 124 games between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Iowa, Ballesteros batted a combined .289 with 19 homers and 78 RBI. He also had 13 passed balls and threw out only 12% (12-of-80) runners attempting to steal.

Ballesteros also was used at first base in eight games, making two errors. As a catcher, he had five errors in 72 games.

Go Get Some Work

Ballesteros was sent to the 2024 Arizona Fall League to work on defense. In 13 games behind the plate he had only one error, one passed ball and tossed out 7 of 23 (23%) of basestealers.

Naturally, he also hit well. In 19 games that included time as a designated hitter, he had 5 homers, 4 doubles, 16 RBI and a .317 average.

“I am having fun here because I see improvement,” Ballesteros said in November. “I’ve really been working on my defense, working on my whole game.”

Ballesteros was my pick to win the AFL Home Run Derby after watching him launch one pitch after another far into the twilight in batting practice. He did not do as well in the event as he appeared to try and muscle up instead of letting his smooth swing do the work. He did hit some line drives that would have been good hits in a game.

“I just lost my rhythm and couldn’t get it back,” he said. “But I had fun.”

He spent his winter doing agility work, strength training and Pilates to get into better shape.

Pudge And Yogi

Two of the greatest catchers in history were short and squat like Ballesteros. It didn’t keep Ivan Rodriguez or Yogi Berra from becoming Hall of Famers.

“Pudge” Rodriguez got his nickname by being 5-9, 210 pounds. The Texas Rangers signed him out of Puerto Rico in 1988 at 16. “I got my nickname on the very first day of camp from Chino Cadahia, a coach at the time, because I was short and stocky,” he said.

Rodriguez went 3-for-3 in his first pro game and never stopped hitting. Three years later, he was in the majors. He stayed there for 21 years, batting .296 in 2,543 games. He also won 13 gold gloves and threw out 45.7% of runners trying to steal.

Lawrence Peter Berra got his memorable nickname from a teenage teammate who said the catcher looked like a “yogi from India sitting with his legs crossed.”

Berra played at 5-7, 185 pounds, often swung at pitches over his head, by his feet or way out of the strike zone. But he hit them. In 19 seasons, he struck out only 414 times in 8,364 times up, with 358 homers and 1,430 RBI. He tossed out a remarkable 48.6% of runners with a quick release rather than a strong arm like Rodriguez.

Moises Ballesteros’ Future

He could get to Wrigley Field this summer as a DH if the Cubs need more offense. Improved work behind the plate could get him some time there, especially if Miguel Amaya and/or Carson Kelly get hurt.

Defense at catcher is much more than catching and throwing the ball. It takes time to learn how to call pitches, frame them for strikes and understand the nuances of pitchers who may need a pat on the back or a pep-talk equivalent to a kick in the rear.

The Cubs have no intention of rushing Ballesteros. His hitting could force a change in plans, though the blueprint is to work, work, work on defense every day in the minors and see what happens.

Patience is the word for 2025. Fans are eager to see Ballesteros bat the ball around. They’ll be happier to see it along with sound defense a tad later than sooner.