Chicago Cubs Future Star Named Top Midseason Prospect

The Chicago Cubs have enjoyed the swift rise of their potential catcher of the future through the minor leagues.

Moises Ballesteros (35) of the South Bend Cubs strikes during the fourth inning the South Bend Cubs vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps game at Four Winds Stadium in South Bend on June 23, 2023. / MATTIE NERETIN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Moises Ballesteros is back in Iowa playing for the Triple-A Cubs. It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for the 20-year-old and he recently picked up an honor from Baseball America.

The site selected the top midseason prospect for each organization in the Majors, and Ballesteros picked up the award for the Chicago Cubs.

He spent part of All-Star Game weekend in Arlington, Texas, tagging along with Matt Shaw and James Triantos for the MLB Futures game. While Ballesteros didn’t play in the game, he participated in the inaugural skills competition held afterward.

But he got to locker with the NL Futures team, wear the same uniform and sample the same visitor’s locker room at Globe Life Field.

The publication selected Ballesteros, in part because he is a rarity in the minors — a 20-year-old everyday player at Triple-A. The only other one Baseball America referenced was Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday, who is widely considered the game’s No. 1 prospect and is playing at Triple-A Norfolk after a brief stint with the Orioles in April.

The publication also said that “while he draws mixed reviews for his agility behind the plate, the 5-foot-7 Ballesteros has rare contact-plus-impact potential.”

In his first 18 games with Iowa Ballesteros showed off the bat, as he slashed .301/.338/.452/.790 with two home runs and six RBI.

Ballesteros is the Cubs’ No. 5 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. What earned him the promotion to Triple-A on June 18 was his performance at Double-A Tennessee, where he started this season.

With Tennessee he batted .299/.372/.495/.867 with nine home runs and 43 RBI in 56 games.

It all puts him ahead of schedule. MLB Pipeline has Ballesteros listed as a potential 2026 call-up.

Chicago doesn’t have a good catching situation at the MLB level right now. They recently designated veteran Yan Gomes for assignment and right now they’re going with Miguel Amaya and Tomás Nido.

There is talk of the Cubs perhaps swinging a deal for a veteran catcher at the trade deadline. But Chicago remains under .500 going into the weekend, which could make them more sellers than buyers at the deadline.

In a case like that, a remote possibility exists that Ballesteros could play his way into a role in Chicago this year.

That would be a big jump for a player the Cubs signed out of Venezuela for $1.2 million as part of its 2020-21 international signing class.

He batted .266 in 2021 with the Cubs’ Dominican Summer League team. In 2022 he came stateside and reached Class-A Myrtle Beach and batted .257 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI.

Last season his offense took a jump while he was at Myrtle Beach, High-A South Bend and Tennessee. Combined he batted .285 with a career-high 14 home runs and 64 RBI.