The Chicago Cubs survived one of the most challenging schedules in Major League Baseball. They faced some of the best the National League had to offer and had the Texas Rangers sprinkled in for good measure. During their 20-game span of running the gauntlet, the Cubs did better than expected by going 12-8 and 4-1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and outscoring them 38 to 18.
Thankfully, that’s all done as the Cubs move on to play the Pittsburgh Pirates and have one of the easier schedules left to play. The Cubs offense is firing on all cylinders, while their pitching staff is holding their own since the injury to Justin Steele.
The Cubs have so many players clicking offensively that it’s causing a ripple effect down in the minor leagues with their Triple-A squad replicating exactly how the Cubs are winning ballgames. One of those players who is going off down at Iowa is Moisés Ballesteros, who is proving he’s getting more deserving of a call-up to the show.
Ballesteros is proving he needs to get called up to the Chicago Cubs
Ballesteros is the Cub’s fourth-ranked prospect while MLB has him as the 65th-best prospect in all of baseball. The Cubs invited Ballesteros to spring training, where he played in a few games and showed he was ready to join the big league club out of camp. Sadly, that didn’t happen, as the Cubs had Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly as their two backstops to start the year.
Since being assigned to Iowa, Ballesteros hasn’t missed a beat, as he’s the hottest hitter in the Iowa Cubs lineup. So far this season, the 21-year-old Ballesteros is riding a 14-game hitting streak, and ranks first in the International League in hits (36) and average (.414).
Ballesteros’s 14-game hitting streak is the longest by an Iowa Cub since Pete Crow-Armstrong did it in August of 2023. To add to his gaudy numbers, Ballesteros has a base of .475 and a slugging percentage of .586 for an OPS of 1.061.
Why the Cubs should call up Ballesteros?
This hot start for Ballesteros this season is just a continuation of his dominance last season, where at Double and Triple-A combined he hit .289/.354/.471 for an OPS of .825 in 124 games. Ballesteros is showing growth at the plate, so much so that he is forcing the Cubs to call him up to the show.
The only issue with that is there is no position for him to play at, as both Kelly and Amaya are off to strong starts at catcher, and Micheal Busch is having an All-Star type of season over at first base, which is Ballesteros secondary position. The designated hitter spot is a no-go, as Seiya Suzuki occupies that role and is also playing like an All-Star this season.
The only option Ballesteros has to make the big league roster will be when Kelly becomes a free agent. However, that won’t be until after next year since he signed a two-year deal with the Cubs this offseason.
Potential trade bait
The Cubs have a few areas of need on the big league roster, and one area where they need the most help is with their starting pitching. The Cubs lack an Ace, and with Steele missing the rest of this season they must trade for one to win the division and make the playoffs.
The top two starters available at the trade deadline this year will be the Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcántara and the Minnesota Twins’ Pablo López, both of whom would give the Cubs the Ace they need to make the playoffs.
If the Cubs can’t find a spot for Ballesteros with the big league club or move someone to create a space for him, the Cubs could look to include him in a trade for Alcántara or López, who will cost a premium price.