Pitchers and catchers are reporting? It's the Spring Training Thread!

Geographyhater8888 · February 21

12 hours ago, Banks-Williams said:

The Red Sox manager, Alex Cora, was one of the cheaters too. As a Houston Coach, he led the cheating pack. Do you think he’d enjoy his present players trashing Bregman? I’m sure no reliable poll was taken.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m guessing players would be either be benched, demoted to Pawtucket and or have their buzzer wearing privileges taken away if they refused to publicly speak out in favor of Bregman as a favor to Cora’s cheater in crime entering free agency.
The Redsox are at Cora’s mercy.

Edited February 21 by Geographyhater8888

Radar3454 · February 21

Mo Baller expected at camp today. I'm intrigued to see if he is in better shape than he was at the end of the year.

Jason Ross · February 21

48 minutes ago, Radar3454 said:

Mo Baller expected at camp today. I'm intrigued to see if he is in better shape than he was at the end of the year.

I think people expecting some magical transformation in body are setting themselves up for failure.

Some people just have different body types than others. This is likely what you get here.

What's important is that to date, at no level had Ballesteros body stopped him from being a highly successful player.

Radar3454 · February 21

Better shape not a magical transformation. He got himself in much better shape the year before and then was fat again for a baseball player last year. He was still a great hitter, but it hurts his speed and probably his defense.

Geographyhater8888 · February 21

Mo will likely always be around 20% body fat? That’s a healthy range for for him. For PCA 15% would be relatively chunky. No amount of dieting and conditioning will get give him a visible six pack with his frame. .

Edited February 21 by Geographyhater8888

Jason Ross · February 21

15 minutes ago, Radar3454 said:

Better shape not a magical transformation. He got himself in much better shape the year before and then was fat again for a baseball player last year. He was still a great hitter, but it hurts his speed and probably his defense.

He wasn't any different from 2024 to 2025. There was one or two pictures that initially made him seem in different shape, but this is video from him in April of 2024 and then last year in 2025, also Aprirl.

https://www.milb.com/milb/video/moises-ballesteros-third-home-run-of-the-season?t=chicago-cubs-affiliates

https://www.milb.com/iowa/video/moises-ballesteros-two-homer-four-hit-game

There is no "much better shape" from those videos. Same guy, almost 365 days apart. And while I don't have an image of him from his first day in camp, it's highly unlikely that after being with the team for 2 months playing baseball that he just added the bulk back. It wasn't like he was on vacation between camp and mid-April.

This is what we should expect Ballesteros to look like when he gets to camp now and we should probably stop thinking it'll be any different. I also don't think he's lazy like many think he is. Some people carry weight differently than others naturally.

Geographyhater8888 · February 21

3 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

He wasn't any different from 2024 to 2025. There was one or two pictures that initially made him seem in different shape, but this is video from him in April of 2024 and then last year in 2025, also Aprirl.

https://www.milb.com/milb/video/moises-ballesteros-third-home-run-of-the-season?t=chicago-cubs-affiliates

https://www.milb.com/iowa/video/moises-ballesteros-two-homer-four-hit-game

There is no "much better shape" from those videos. Same guy, almost 365 days apart. And while I don't have an image of him from his first day in camp, it's highly unlikely that after being with the team for 2 months playing baseball that he just added the bulk back. It wasn't like he was on vacation between camp and mid-April.

This is what we should expect Ballesteros to look like when he gets to camp now and we should probably stop thinking it'll be any different. I also don't think he's lazy like many think he is. Some people carry weight differently than others naturally.

Just to add to that he’s only listed at 195 lbs.

Jason Ross · February 21

6 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

Just to add to that he’s only listed at 195 lbs.

Don't use official MLB listings for players like Ballesteros who have not really established themselves in MLB. They are rarely updated and sit out of date for years. They're especially bad for IFA signings like Ballesteros.

I'd guess he was 195lbs three or four years ago. He's well over 200 today, I'd bet my house on it.

Example: Jefferson Rojas is listed at 150lbs. There's no chance he's 150lbs any more.

Geographyhater8888 · February 21

15 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Don't use official MLB listings for players like Ballesteros who have not really established themselves in MLB. They are rarely updated and sit out of date for years. They're especially bad for IFA signings like Ballesteros.

I'd guess he was 195lbs three or four years ago. He's well over 200 today, I'd bet my house on it.

Example: Jefferson Rojas is listed at 150lbs. There's no chance he's 150lbs any more.

It did seem generous.

Jason Ross · February 21

2 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

It did seem generous.

Yeah 195 lbs would be very generous for him. Alejandro Kirk is listed at 245lbs and I'd guess Mo is closer to that.

Geographyhater8888 · February 21

2 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Yeah 195 lbs would be very generous for him. Alejandro Kirk is listed at 245lbs and I'd guess Mo is closer to that.

He can be 300 Ibs and still rake if that cheater Bregman lets him borrow his buzzer when he’s at bat.

Radar3454 · February 21

25 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

He wasn't any different from 2024 to 2025. There was one or two pictures that initially made him seem in different shape, but this is video from him in April of 2024 and then last year in 2025, also Aprirl.

https://www.milb.com/milb/video/moises-ballesteros-third-home-run-of-the-season?t=chicago-cubs-affiliates

https://www.milb.com/iowa/video/moises-ballesteros-two-homer-four-hit-game

There is no "much better shape" from those videos. Same guy, almost 365 days apart. And while I don't have an image of him from his first day in camp, it's highly unlikely that after being with the team for 2 months playing baseball that he just added the bulk back. It wasn't like he was on vacation between camp and mid-April.

This is what we should expect Ballesteros to look like when he gets to camp now and we should probably stop thinking it'll be any different. I also don't think he's lazy like many think he is. Some people carry weight differently than others naturally.

He is either lazy and/or eating horribly being that overweight as a professional athlete. I'm not expecting PCA or Nico, but getting close to Carson or Busch would be a good target for him.

Jason Ross · February 21

6 minutes ago, Radar3454 said:

He is either lazy and/or eating horribly being that overweight as a professional athlete. I'm not expecting PCA or Nico, but getting close to Carson or Busch would be a good target for him.

Are you a sports nutritionalist? I'm not. I'm assuming you're not. Let's leave that aspect to the Cubs who have their own weight goals and experts to determine. The people who actually have sat in a room with Moises Ballesteros and have worked with him over years.

What we can assume is that the Cubs don't find his body shape nearly as disqualifying as home fans do. They have not only ensured to not trade him, but are seemingly just fine turning over the keys to the DH position to him in 2025. He's probably going to catch some too this year.

I am non-plussed as long as he shows back up in "normal Moises Ballesteros" shape. If he shows up extra large, we can begin to worry, but beyond that; I think it is what it is and we need to stop thinking he's going to have a massive transformation. Getting to Michael Busch levels of shape would be a massive transformation. Busch is listed at 210lbs, and it's likely Ballesteros is something like 30lbs more than that.