Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moises Ballesteros against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Chicago Cubs have been a team that has improved through their farm system in recent years, and at the current juncture, it is better than it has been in a long time. All across the board, the Cubs have high-end prospects at each position, and one of the best among the bunch is catcher Moisés Ballesteros.
Ballesteros signed with Chicago in 2021 as an international free agent, and ever since has been steadily rising through their minor league system. In three full seasons with the team, he has made it from the Arizona Complex League all the way up to Triple-A Iowa, and for good reason.
The thing that makes this even more interesting is that he did not show any signs of slowing down in 2024 when he made that jump to Iowa. His batting was still effective with .281/.340/.454 slash lines, 35 RBI, 30 runs, 10 home runs, and 60 strikeouts to 23 walks in 68 games.
That momentum has continued into 2025 spring training, where Ballesteros has played in eight games, producing .333/.412/.533 slash lines with a .945 OPS, six runs, two RBI, a home run, and three strikeouts to two walks.
Additionally, his fielding has been strong as well, with 367 innings at catcher in Triple-A last year, he had 394 putouts, 25 assists, three double plays turned, and only two errors, good for a .995 fielding rate.
He now ranks No. 4 among the top prospects in the Cubs system at MLB.com, and at No. 68 among the entire pipeline rankings across the league on the same site. This quick rise through the levels has been noticed by media everywhere, and his development has given him the chance to be one step away from the major leagues as a 21-year old, which is extremely impressive.
With the catcher position not particularly solidified for Chicago, as Miguel Amaya is the primary competition who has struggled to hit consistently so far in his 170 games at the MLB level, the spot may end up being more up for grabs than anticipated.
Ballesteros will more than likely start off the year in Triple-A and get some more reps, but if Amaya starts off slow in the first half of the season, it may not be a surprise if Ballesteros gets the call-up.
Regardless, the team will find a way to use his talents if he keeps up this strong stretch of baseball. Having played some first base as well, he has a little bit of versatility to move around if needed. But given how well he performs at catcher, he may end up being on the roster sooner rather than later.