During last September’s playoff push, Cubs manager Craig Counsell trusted recent callup Moises Ballesteros in the cleanup spot eight times. The manager points to those games as examples of the faith the Venezuelan catcher earned with the organization.
“Moises did a great job last year, and we kind of asked a lot of him,” Counsell said. “He showed us a lot.”
Ballesteros served three stints in Chicago during the 2025 campaign, batting .298/.394/.474 across 20 games. At just 21 years old, he also struck out just 12 times in 66 big league plate appearances.
“There’s a lot of contact, and the ball went all over the field,” Counsell said. “He doesn’t just have to pull the ball. It’s going everywhere, and against all types of pitches. That’s generally just a good formula.”
Ballesteros showed more of the same during the other parts of his 2025 season with Triple-A Iowa, batting .316/.385/.473 across 114 games. It marked the highest batting average Ballesteros has posted at any minor league level.
“He’s a natural hitter and has historically gone to the plate looking to attack pitches in the zone,” Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler said. “Beyond his mechanics, which include impressive fluidity and balance given the swing dynamics, his edge is confidence, self-belief and aggression.”
Counsell said the plan is for Ballesteros to catch more in 2026. He logged just six innings behind the plate with Chicago; all his other starts came as DH.
The quick development of his offensive game has currently outpaced his defensive opportunities. Ballesteros played just 303 games at catcher during his professional career. While at Triple-A Iowa last year, he threw out just 13% of basestealers, versus the 21.6% average in the International League.
“Moises worked hard with our catching coaches and made strides behind the plate last year,” Kanzler said. “I’m excited for what’s to come as he gets additional opportunities behind the plate and grows as a major league backstop.”