The Chicago Cubs have their catcher in waiting playing with Triple-A affiliate Iowa Cubs and he’s swinging a scorching hot bat right now. He’s batting .404 this season with Iowa and extended his hit streak to 16. So why are the Cubs not calling Moises Ballesteros up right now?
It’s a little more complicated than just rewarding a player with a call up that’s playing well. You want to make sure for one, they’re actually ready. Players have momentum swings all the time, but you don’t want to tarnish a prospects future by calling them up too early.
That’s part of the reasoning why Cubs manager Craig Counsell is waiting for the right time.
“He’s got a gift for hitting and he’s made that obvious years ago frankly,” Counsell said on Ballesteros’ hitting, per Marquee Sports Network. “Moises, he’s got to be a good catcher, that’s what’s important. We have to find a position for him.”
Craig Counsell being patient with Moises Ballesteros is best for both the Chicago Cubs and Ballesteros’ development
Once you get called up to the majors, the goal is to stay there. Counsell is making sure when he brings up Ballesteros, he’s there for the rest of his career. It’s happened before where a player gets hot in the minors and struggles once they get called up and end up going back and forth.
Counsell wants to avoid that with Ballesteros which is why he’s not letting his hot bat sway his decision-making.
“He still just hasn’t caught a lot of professional games, it’s a really shockingly low number,” Counsell said. “When you think about that, it’s a little bit like what we ran into with Migel Amaya.”
With that, it makes sense the Cubs don’t want to rush Ballesteros. Hitting is important, but they aren’t calling him up to be a designated hitter. They’re calling him up to be an everyday player. And if he does lack the catching reps, it would make sense to let him improve as a position player.
You also have to take into consideration, when it comes to development, if he’s truly ready for the MLB, his hitting numbers won’t take a dip while he’s sticking around the minor leagues. Consistency is one of the biggest characteristics of the top players in MLB.
Ballesteros has the hitting part down, now it’s about staying consistent and improving as a catcher. Be patient, Cubs fans. Ballesteros will have his time to shine in MLB. For now, just appreciate that you might have a future star