Moises Ballesteros as a legit MLB catcher?

[Stratos]

I watched the below recent interview with Cubs Minor League hitting coordinator Rachel Folden where they talk about his hitting.  She admits she doesn't have  catching expertise but she also says "he can catch" and doesn't have any clear deficiencies as a catcher.  He's also in better shape, and from recent AFL footage you can see he's slimmer than in Spring Training.  She praises his intelligence as a hitter and ability to pick up on pitcher patterns, tipping pitches etc (which would translate well at catcher).

She's obviously not going to say anything negative about the guy, but just got me thinking that the Cubs may actually think Ballesteros is a real future option at catcher and we shouldn't write him off.  In the minors he's started 236 games at catcher and only 41 at 1B and 42 at DH.  They haven't moved him off catcher at all yet and hasn't played much 1B, so that's a good sign.  Usually they move guys off catcher lower in the minors if they don't think its a fit.

Seems like he still has work to do on this throwing (not mentioned) based on last year, but if they can get his bat in the lineup at C that would be nice.  Based on his youth I could see him spending virtually all of 2025 in the minors though.

 

 

[Bertz]

Eric Longenhagen, who lives in AZ and thus has a very up to date scouting report based on Moises' time in the AFL, recently said this

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He can throw well enough to do it and I think that's key.  He definitely lacks the frame/size I want (he's a husky 5-foot-8) and he's been running to the backstop a ton here in the AFL.  It's more dicey than Liranzo or Agustin Ramirez but I'm still cautiously optimistic

I still think something in the Mitch Garver mold makes sense.  He gets maybe one dedicated guy in the rotation that he catches every time, and gets some assorted time after late inning roster moves, but is primarily a 1B/DH.

[Jason Ross]

Yeah, I think we have to look at Ballesteros as a non-traditional catcher. I'm not sure he's going to be the guy to log 100 games back there. But I think getting him to log 40-50 games where you feel like you can live with the decent enough ability, coupled with the bat, and then playing him as a DH on the other 100 games is his landing strip. And I'm not sure that's a bad thing - if you believe in the bat than keeping him fresh and in the lineup without the hell on the knees is probably a good thing!

[squally1313]

It's been talked about before, but his bat has progressed at a pace that was probably detrimental to his future as a catcher. He's basically gotten 55-70 games at each level because until AAA his worst offensive performance was a 128 wRC, and as someone who was never known as a plus defensive guy, I can't imagine that's a pace that is going to optimize his defensive development. 

Like, a little apples to oranges, but this is going to be his age 21 season and he's comfortably the starting AAA catcher, if not knocking on the door. At that point, Rutschman was playing rookie and A ball. Now, the counter point is someone like William Contreras got 382 minor league games starting at age 17 (like Ballesteros), which is only 31 more than Ballesteros has. But that might be an outlier (Willson got 517 games), and I think the everpresent concerns about Ballesteros behind the plate means him coming up at a pace that outstrips all these guys is a little ambitious. 

[Outshined_One]

It's such a weird situation, since we don't want Ballesteros languishing in AAA when he could be a useful hitter in the majors, but he needs regular repetitions at catcher to continue his development, and it's clear that he is not ready to be a catcher in the majors.  This also isn't a Schwarber situation where you can talk yourself into thinking he could play other positions because he lacks the sort of body type you would want elsewhere on the field.

I love the potential, but he's an awkward fit going into 2025 for the Cubs,  It'd be one thing if he played for a team that was tanking and didn't give a crap about his growing pains at catcher in the majors, but for a team in contention?  Engh.

[squally1313]

7 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

It's such a weird situation, since we don't want Ballesteros languishing in AAA when he could be a useful hitter in the majors, but he needs regular repetitions at catcher to continue his development, and it's clear that he is not ready to be a catcher in the majors.  This also isn't a Schwarber situation where you can talk yourself into thinking he could play other positions because he lacks the sort of body type you would want elsewhere on the field.

I love the potential, but he's an awkward fit going into 2025 for the Cubs,  It'd be one thing if he played for a team that was tanking and didn't give a crap about his growing pains at catcher in the majors, but for a team in contention?  Engh.

I think he would have to basically be lapping the field offensively (like, 150+ wRC) to consider calling him up this year. Start him every day behind the plate and see if he can get to a passable spot. 104 wRC in AAA getting called up as a bat-only option in his age 21 season doesn't make any sense. 

[JBears79]

I think we see Ballestros get a full AAA season this year. Maybe comes up and down but I'd keep him there for a bit. 

I think we know that this FO loves the bat. Get him continued reps at catcher.