Chicago Cubs: Overlooked asset may actually be key to team’s success

The Chicago Cubs made a lot of moves this offseason. They added free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, traded for emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera, and restocked a depleted bullpen with four free agent acquisitions.

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With all the pickups– and the retaining of pitchers Shota Imanaga and Caleb Thielbar– it would be easy to overlook some of the important roster pieces carried over from 2025.

Moises Ballesteros is one of those overlooked holdovers.

As a matter of fact, the rookie DH/catcher, whose public profile is significantly less hefty than that of nearly all his position player teammates, just might be a crucial component to the success of this 2026 Cubs squad.

Moises Ballesteros made his mark

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The 22-year-old lefty bat slashed .298/.394/.474 in a small sample size of 66 regular season plate appearances over three separate call-ups. Down the stretch, he shined as the Cubs worked to secure a playoff spot. He turned a lot of heads, hitting .333 (with a .435 OBP) in the month of September, usually placed in the middle of the Cubs lineup. In a lot of ways, his offensive presence offset the loss of Kyle Tucker, who was hobbled by injury over that last month of the regular season.

“We kind of asked a lot of him,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told media during Cubs Convention earlier this month. “You saw where he was hitting in the lineup at times. I think that is a sign of a lot of confidence in a young hitter. He showed us a lot…

“There’s a lot of contact, and the ball went all over the field. That was probably the two things that impressed me, is that just where the ball went. He doesn’t have to pull a ball. It’s going everywhere with all types of pitches, and then there’s just a lot of contact. That’s generally just a good formula. Hits it hard.

“Those are all three really good things to do that make you tough to defend, and he’s doing it again at a really young age.”

A hitting savant

Nobody should really be surprised that the kid can hit. By all accounts, he’s a hitting savant and his bat, alone, earned him the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year award in both 2023 and 2024. What IS surprising, though, is that the Cubs, who are fixated on multi-tool athletic specimens, have resisted the urge to trade him away as a pudgy, 5-foot-8 one-trick pony.

If anything, that tells everyone just how good Ballesteros’ “one trick” is.

On a 2026 Cubs team of established stars, Baseball America’s no. 36 prospect may be an under-the-radar key to making this team fire on all cylinders.

The rookie is under-the-radar crucial

If Ballesteros can hold down that DH spot, everything will play out according to plan and things should go well.

If he can’t handle the job, however, the Cubs may have to scramble and shift around the roster.

Seiya Suzuki might have to be moved from right field, back to DH. As a result, the remaining options for that every day corner outfield position would be wildly underwhelming– Kevin Alcantara, Justin Dean, and converted infielder Matt Shaw.

Subtracting Ballesteros’ bat would mean losing one of the few left-handed hitting options in the lineup. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, and the switch-hitting Ian Happ would be the only lefty bats on the 26-man roster.

Ballesteros’ status as a catcher will also be an asset to the team, helping to take some of the load off Cubs catchers Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya. Although not regarded as a strong defender, he HAS reportedly improved in that area over the last year or so. At the very least, he could spell the two righty catchers against the occasional tough right-handed pitcher.

“There’s a lot of ways to use him,” Counsell said. “His bat, he showed he can – at a young age – be a designated hitter. That bat is good enough to be a designated hitter. The catching thing, he’s going to catch more, for sure, this year. The offense and the left-handedness of the offense is something that we need.”

There’s a lot of opportunity being laid at the feet of the rookie Ballesteros. There’s also a lot of pressure. So far, the young talent had been able to take everything in stride. Time will tell what 2026 has in store.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-moises-ballesteros-key-2026-suzuki-carson-kelly