Ballesteros hopes consistent power in AFL leads to winter ball, spring camp

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The rapid ascent of Moises Ballesteros continues.

The Cubs landed the catcher for $1.2 million out of Venezuela in January 2021, and all he’s done ever since is hit. He reached Double-A Tennessee in 2023 as a 19-year-old, so expectations were high for the organization’s No. 4 prospect heading into this past season.

He didn’t disappoint.

Ballesteros posted an .867 OPS in 56 games at Double-A, earning a spot in the All-Star Futures Game as well as the Skills Showcase and a promotion to Triple-A Iowa. With the I-Cubs, the 20-year-old hit .281 with a .794 OPS and 10 homers in 68 games -- all while facing pitchers who were an average of seven years his senior.

Only eight Minor Leaguers age 20 or younger went yard more than Ballesteros' 19 in 2024, and all of them spent most of the season at the lower levels. He's currently MLB Pipeline's No. 44 overall prospect.

All that could be enough to make a young player take a beat, sit back and reflect upon his accomplishments, but not for Ballesteros. He packed his bags and headed for the desert, where he continues to rake for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League.

On Monday at Surprise Stadium, Ballesteros homered for a third straight game in Mesa’s 13-7 win over Surprise. The two-run shot was his fifth of the campaign and ran his Fall League RBI total to 14 over 11 games.

Last week, Ballesteros turned heads by hitting .333 (5-for-15) with two homers and a double. His 12 total bases were second-most on the circuit, which features heralded prospects from across all 30 organizations.

“I’m just continuing my work from the season, trying to be consistent every day, trying to do my routine every day,” Ballesteros said via interpreter Gustavo Nava. “At the plate right now, I just feel like I’m doing what I was working on during the season, which is picking a good pitch to hit that I can do damage with, and if it’s a ball, just leave it as a ball.”

A strong Fall League showing can be a good jumping-off point for players looking to take some momentum into Spring Training. Ballesteros only got four games and nine at-bats at big league camp last spring, but he’s likely in line for a longer look at Sloan Park in March.

“My goal is still the same: I just want to be the best person I can be and the best player I can be and just improve every day,” he said. “I’m just hoping for the organization to give me an opportunity.”

Though catcher is one of the less-settled spots on the Cubs’ roster, Ballesteros -- who will turn 21 on Nov. 8 -- would no doubt be a long shot to break camp with the Cubs in the spring. But if he continues to hit at Iowa, contributing at the big league level at some point in ‘25 will certainly be on the table. Clubs across the league have been trending younger and younger. The Brewers’ Jackson Chourio and the Padres’ Jackson Merrill broke camp as 20-year-olds in March, and both more than held their own in The Show.

“I’m going to Spring Training to be the best me that I can be, and whenever they call me, I’ll be ready,” Ballesteros said.

In the meantime, he will suit up for a loaded Iowa team that featured a Minors-best six Top 100 prospects last season, with right-hander Cade Horton (No. 42), infielders Matt Shaw (No. 22) and James Triantos (No. 55) and outfielders Owen Caissie (No. 34) and Kevin Alcántara (No. 67) joining the catcher in Des Moines.

Ballesteros is also in good company among young standouts in Arizona.

The average age in the Fall League is 23 years, 8 months, but it features fellow 20-and-under Top 100 prospects Ethan Salas (Padres, 18, No. 19), Colt Emerson (Mariners, 19, No. 27), Leodalis De Vries (Padres, 18, No. 28), Jett Williams (Mets, 20, No. 52) and Termarr Johnson (Pirates, 20, No. 75).

“It’s been amazing. It’s been a great experience,” Ballesteros said. “We have the opportunity to interact with each other and learn from each other, not only your team but everybody that you’re around, and you just keep learning every day.”

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Ballesteros is only catching and occasionally serving as DH for the Solar Sox, but he did get eight games at first base during the regular season. That versatility could work in his favor as the hit tool carves his path to the North Side, though he’s showing he can definitely hold his own behind the dish.

A half-inning after launching his homer, Ballesteros ended Surprise’s threat in the bottom of the seventh by throwing out Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone (MLB No. 17) attempting to steal second base.

“I’ve really been working on my defense, really been working on my whole game,” Ballesteros said. “When I come out here, I’m just trying to do what I’ve been working on the whole week and just let the game be the game.”

When the Fall League wraps up, Ballesteros said he's hoping to go to home to play winter ball.

“I want to make my Venezuelan League debut,” he said. “I want to play in front of my family and my people, and not only that but be around players who have been in the league for a long time.”