Even though the Chicago Cubs major league team hasn’t played as well as many had hoped, their farm system is full of young talent.
With 5.5 games left in the National League Wild Card, the Cubs ultimately have a decision to make. If they lose a few more games, why not bring in some of that young talent?
On September 1st, the squad will be expanded from 26 to 28 players, so at least two players will definitely be called up to the team.
It will be interesting to see who the two players are, but some deserve the chance more than others. One of those players is Moises Ballesteros.
Ballesteros, who has proven in his young professional career that he is ready for the major leagues, may not get called up because he is only 20 years old. While his age is an advantage in the long run, it could hurt him right now.
However, he is considered one of the most promising talents in the game. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report named him as one of the 25 best talents aged 20 or younger based on his development. He landed on the list at number 17.
“Ballesteros is miles ahead of the development curve for a catcher, already playing at the Triple-A level and on the verge of breaking into the big leagues for the first time.
“His modest 5-foot-7 and 215-pound size belies his outstanding offensive ability, and he has a .280/.347/.474 batting average with 18 doubles, 17 home runs and 63 RBI in 101 games in the major leagues of the minors. He has increased his value more than any other candidate on this list in 2024.”
In his four professional seasons, Ballesteros has a batting average of .277/.366/.451 with 44 home runs, 67 doubles and 186 RBI in 1,150 career at-bats.
In Triple-A in 2024, the left-hander has a batting average of .263/.325/.451 with eight home runs, nine doubles, 21 RBI and 16 walks in 175 at-bats.
Chicago has been looking for a long-term catcher for the past few years, which should ultimately help Ballesteros get the job.
Miguel Amaya, 25, has been swinging the bat at a high level over the past two months, which is a promising sign, but the Cubs’ plan seems to be for Ballesteros to take over his job at some point in the future.
If Amaya continues to swing the bat like that, it would be a good problem to have. Chicago hasn’t had a surplus of talent at any position over the last five seasons, so they’ll have to figure it out if that continues.
