Moises Ballesteros Hits A Double, Drives In One In Solar Sox Finale
Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros put his final stamp on his 2024 Arizona Fall Campaign on Thursday, notching a double and an RBI in a 1-for-4 day at the plate. With the Mesa Solar Sox not playing for the AFL championship, the 21-year-old finishes the fall campaign with a .316/.376/.557 slashline, including five home runs, 16 RBI, and a 10:15 BB:K in 19 games. It's a strong ending after a superb 2024 regular season. Should he continue to swing a hot bat come next spring, it shouldn't be long before he's with the big league club that could use some offense at the position. While his defense is not quite as strong, he could also spend time at DH while he works on the glove, which should put him squarely on both dynasty and redraft radar.
Moises Ballesteros Collects Two More Hits In The AFL
Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros kept hitting on Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a walk for the Mesa Solar Sox. The performance raised his average to .320 in the fall season with a .946 OPS. The successful fall campaign comes on the heels of a breakout 2024 regular season in which the backstop hit his way to a promotion to Triple-A, then continued to hit once he got there. Across both levels, the lefty hitter posted a .289-19-57-78-1 line over 124 games (508 PA). He did so at only the age of 20 and it was the third consecutive season in which he hit double-digit homers against pitching that was much more advanced in age. The Cubs have just Miguel Amaya on the major league roster at the moment after Christian Bethancourt became a free agent this offseason, so Ballesteros figures to at least get a shot to crack the roster next spring. Regardless, he shows no signs of being overmatched at any level so far, so if he can improve his defense then he'll be in a Cubs uniform sooner rather than later, very likely at some point in 2025.
Moises Ballesteros Staying Hot In Arizona Fall League
Chicago Cubs first base/catching prospect Moises Ballesteros has launched four home runs in his first ten games in the Arizona Fall League. During the stretch, he has held a .391/.431/.717 line with 11 RBI, and a 4:7 BB:K ratio. This is a great sign for the 20-year-old has he enjoyed a fantastic 2024 campaign. The infielder opened the campaign in Double-A but quickly moved up to Triple-A after he posted a .299/.372/.495 line through 56 games. In his first 68 games at the top level of the minor leagues, the No.4 ranked prospect in the Northside carried a strong .281/.340/.454 line with ten long balls. Ballesteros remains a name to keep a close eye on as he could push for a big league debut in 2025.
Moises Ballesteros Surges Again On Latest Prospect Re-Rank
In MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects July update, Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros moved up 28 spots from 89 to 61, but in their latest reshuffle, the 20-year-old jumped up another 17 spots after a solid showing in his first taste of Triple-A. Now ranked at 44th overall, Ballesteros owns a .283/.346/.490 slashline over 38 games with the Iowa Cubs, acquitting himself well against pitchers that are mostly older than he is. The Cubs are finally getting some offensive production from the catcher position lately, which is dampening the chances of a debut in 2024, but if he can continue to hit through the end of this season and into next, it would not be a surprise to see Ballesteros in Chicago next season despite MLB.com's ETA of 2026.
Moises Ballesteros Hits 15th Home Run On Wednesday
Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros went 1-for-2 with a solo home run on Wednesday for Triple-A Iowa. The 20-year-old is more than holding his own at Triple-A after beginning the season at Double-A and blasting nine home runs there. In 35 games at Triple-A, the Venezuelan owns a .274/.324/.467 slashline with eight doubles and six home runs. The diminutive backstop has shown he can handle pitchers at every level while being younger than most at his level and is doing everything he can to earn a shot at the big leagues. Cubs backup catcher Christian Bethancourt has caught fire recently so might be able to hold him off for the time being, but we'll see how long that lasts. Dynasty managers and redraft managers should be keeping a close eye on Ballesteros as he could make an impact on offense down the stretch were he to get the call.
Chicago Cubs catcher prospect Moises Ballesteros hit a pinch-hit grand slam on Sunday for Triple-A Iowa. It was the 14th homer of the season for the Cubs' No. 5 prospect and his fifth homer since his call-up to Triple-A. The 20-year-old earned a promotion by hitting .299 with nine homers and 43 RBI at Double-A. Ballesteros has impressed at both levels this season and is perhaps ahead of schedule in his progression through the Cubs farm system. At just 20 and one level away from the majors, he could push for a spot in Chicago as soon as next year.
Chicago Cubs catching/first base prospect Moises Ballesteros has continued to dominate at the Triple-A level after the All-Star Break, especially in the power department. Over the past three games, the backstop has gone deep twice and tallied three total extra-base hits. The 20-year-old joined Triple-A Iowa on June 18 and has performed exceptionally well across his 21-game stint. Through this small taste, Ballesteros has posted a strong .298/.344/.512 line with four home runs, six doubles, and a 6:17 BB:K ratio. He is considered the 59th-best prospect in all of baseball on MLB.com and is making a strong case to spend the majority of next summer in the Northside of Chicago.
Chicago Cubs catcher/first base prospect Moises Ballesteros launched a home run for Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. The 20-year-old has logged 18 games with Iowa since a promotion from Double-A and has hit .301 with two homers and six RBI. Across Double-A and Triple-A this season, Ballesteros is hitting .300 with 11 homers and 49 RBI. The youngster is pushing the envelope in the Cubs' farm system with his rapid progression to Triple-A. Chicago's No. 5 prospect has performed admirably this year and his massive potential could result in a big-league opportunity soon. The Venezuelan could be a future fantasy star at the catcher position.
Moises Ballesteros Dominant Through First Look At Triple-A
Chicago Cubs catching/first base prospect Moises Ballesteros has looked very comfortable in the batter's box since moving up to Triple-A on June 18. In 13 games, the young backstop has posted an excellent .340/.375/.491 line with one long ball, three RBI, and a 3:10 BB:K ratio. He has only gone hitless in two games and posted seven multi-hit performances. At Double-A, the 20-year-old posted a .299/.372/.495 line with nine long balls and 43 RBI in 56 games. Ballesteros needed just 61 games at the Double-A level to reach Triple-A, so dynasty managers should expect the young backstop in the majors sometime next summer, given how well he has performed so far.
Moises Ballesteros Up 28 Spots In Latest Prospect Rankings
Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros moved up 28 spots to No. 61 overall in MLB.com's latest prospect rankings, the second-biggest jump aside from Tigers infield prospect Kevin McGonigle, who jumped 31 spots. Ballesteros has been on fire this season, slashing .299/.372/.495 over 56 games at Double-A, and he's been even better so far in a small 10-game sample at Triple-A, slashing .366/.409/.561 as a 20-year-old. He's got a major-league ETA of 2026, per MLB.com, but if he keeps it up, he may get a shot as early as this season before all is said and done. Dynasty managers should already be aware of the left-handed-hitting backstop, if they are not already stashing him.
Moises Ballesteros
• C
•
Cubs
