The Chicago Cubs have one of the best farm systems in baseball and much of that talent is concentrated at Triple-A Iowa.
Up until Cade Horton was promoted to the Majors earlier this week, all four of the Cubs’ Top 100 prospects in Baseball America’s May re-rank were at Iowa. Another — third baseman Matt Shaw — had already gotten a taste of Chicago.
The other two are probably going to have to wait a bit longer. But one of them — catcher Moises Ballesteros — is rising fast.
Ballesteros, who is just 21 years old, is entering his fifth year of professional baseball after signing as an international free agent out of Venezuela. Chicago must decide after the season in terms of protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. But the way he’s playing that almost seems a foregone conclusion.
Ballesteros was one of the fastest risers among Top 100 prospects from preseason to Baseball America’s first reshuffling of the season. He rose 20 spots, from No. 57 to No. 37.
Why? Well, it’s his bat. Through his first 31 games at Iowa this season he’s slashed .374/.431/.545 with four home runs and 18 RBI. It’s a big jump from his slash in 68 games at Iowa last year — and he hit well. He slashed .281/.340/.454 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI.
Last season was a big one ofr his development. He became a Top 100 prospect for the first time. He played in Triple-A ball for the first time.
Ballesteros represented the Cubs at the MLB Futures game with Shaw and James Triantos last year, though Ballesteros only participated in the skills challenge. But he was still among the game’s top prospects for a few days during All-Star Weekend in Arlington, Texas.
His plays also earned him notice as the Cubs’ top midseason prospect, as selected by Baseball America. He was a rarity at the time— a 20-year-old everyday player at Triple-A. He also played in the Arizona Fall League last year.
The Cubs knew they had something when they signed him in 2021 for a $1.2 million bonus. He’s hit well everywhere he’s been professionally. He has slashed .288/.372/.460 with 50 home runs and 218 RBI in 383 career minor league games.
Now, it’s only a matter of time before he reaches the Majors. He may need an injury to make that happen. Chicago has just two catchers on its 40-man roster — Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly. If either were to get hurt, Ballesteros would likely be the first man up.
