Chicago Cubs Prospect Moises Ballesteros Playing Beyond His Years

Ballesteros, a lefty, is on a nine-game hit streak, including nine hits in his last four games and at least one hit in 14-of-17 games this season. At 5-foot-8 and 195 pounds, he's played 12 games at catcher, four as the designated hitter and one at first base.

Across 124 games between Triple-A and Double-A last season, Ballesteros had a .289 batting average and an .826 OPS, along with 19 home runs, 78 RBI, 93 strikeouts and 45 walks.

Ballesteros has made a rapid rise through the minor leagues, so what's stopping him from a big-league call up? For starters, the Cubs may not want to rush his development as just four 21-year-olds made 2025 Opening Day rosters. But he can clearly hit – he's had an .813 OPS or higher in each of his four minor league seasons – so the larger question is likely his fit on the MLB roster and not his ability.

The Cubs traded for MVP candidate right fielder Kyle Tucker in the offseason, which moved Seiya Suzuki to designated hitter. They also have Michael Busch at first base, and want those three bats in the lineup every day. There are questions about Ballesteros' defense at catcher and first base, so finding at-bats for him in the big leagues could take some creativity, though there's no denying his hitting talent.