
Moises Ballesteros
22-Year-Old
2025 Stats
AVG
.298
HR
2
RBI
11
R
12
SB
0
2026 Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
The biggest question surrounding Ballesteros in fantasy is if/when he will regain catcher eligibility, as the hitting savant enters 2026 UT-only in most formats. To say Ballesteros is a bat-first catching prospect is an understatement, as he is a plus hitter whose defense behind the plate is bad enough that he played 18 games at DH, two games at first base and just one game at catcher across multiple stints with the big club in 2025. Ballesteros slashed .316/.385/.473 with 13 home runs, a 9.6 percent walk rate and a 13.2 percent strikeout rate in 114 games as the second-youngest qualified hitter at Triple-A, behind Phillies slap hitter Justin Crawford. Despite his youth, the 5-foot-8, 195-pound Ballesteros is already a well below-average athlete, but his bat has a realistic chance to be good enough for him to play regularly at the bottom of the defensive spectrum. He may not access 20-homer power in his age-22 season, but he should hit 20-25 homers during his mid-20s while hitting for a high average with high on-base percentages. It's rare for a team to play a 22-year-old regularly at designated hitter, and teams are typically reluctant to give up on a young catcher's defense this early. If Ballesteros goes the Ben Rice route and adds catcher eligibility in 2026, it'll be a massive boon for those rostering him, but it's far from a guarantee. Read Past Outlooks
Taking seat against southpaw
Ballesteros is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.
Analysis
Carlos Santana will step in at designated hitter in place of Ballesteros, who will sit for the second time in the series while the Reds send another lefty to the bump in Andrew Abbott. Since being called up from Triple-A Iowa on Sept. 9, Ballesteros has posted a .999 OPS over nine games. He should have a clear path to regular playing time against right-handed pitching while Kyle Tucker (calf) remains on the shelf.
Carlos Santana will step in at designated hitter in place of Ballesteros, who will sit for the second time in the series while the Reds send another lefty to the bump in Andrew Abbott. Since being called up from Triple-A Iowa on Sept. 9, Ballesteros has posted a .999 OPS over nine games. He should have a clear path to regular playing time against right-handed pitching while Kyle Tucker (calf) remains on the shelf.
Batting Stats
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2025 MLB Game Log
2025
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
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Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2023
+76%
OPS vs RHP
2025
+76%
OPS vs RHP
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2023vs Left | .500 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .000 | ||||
| Since 2023vs Right | .878 | 62 | 2 | 11 | .309 | ||||
| 2025vs Left | .500 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .000 | ||||
| 2025vs Right | .878 | 62 | 2 | 11 | .309 | ||||
| 2024vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2024vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2023vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2023vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
| Minor League Splits→ | View Minor League Split Stats | ||||||||
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2023
+21%
OPS at Home
2025
+21%
OPS at Home
| OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2023Home | .936 | 38 | 1 | 6 | .333 | ||||
| Since 2023Away | .774 | 28 | 1 | 5 | .250 | ||||
| 2025Home | .936 | 38 | 1 | 6 | .333 | ||||
| 2025Away | .774 | 28 | 1 | 5 | .250 | ||||
| 2024Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2024Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2023Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2023Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
Stat Review
How does Moises Ballesteros compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.75BB Rate
13.6%K Rate
18.2%BABIP
.349ISO
.175AVG
.298OBP
.394SLG
.474OPS
.868wOBA
.378Exit Velocity
89.1 mphHard Hit Rate
23.4%Barrels/PA
4.5%Expected BA
.270Expected SLG
.408Sprint Speed
22.3 ft/secGround Ball %
62.2%Line Drive %
17.8%Fly Ball %
20.0%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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More Fantasy News
Goes deep again in win
Ballesteros went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Pirates.
Analysis
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Drawing fourth straight start
Ballesteros will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter and cleanup batter in Monday's game against the Pirates.
Analysis
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Clubs first big-league homer
Ballesteros went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk in Saturday's loss to the Rays.
Analysis
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Productive effort Friday
Ballesteros went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 6-4 victory over Tampa Bay.
Analysis
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Called up Tuesday
The Cubs recalled Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Analysis
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Candidate for playoff roster spot
Ballesteros has emerged as a candidate to earn a spot in the Cubs' postseason roster, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.
Analysis
Ballesteros struggled in his first taste of big-league action this season, but he's turned things around of late and has been seeing the ball well since being recalled by the Cubs in September. Ballesteros is hitting .314 with a 1.000 OPS and a 10:7 K:BB in 12 games since returning to the majors. That kind of success at the plate could translate into a spot on the roster for the NL Wild Card series against the Padres, especially considering the struggles of the Cubs' offense in recent weeks.
Ballesteros struggled in his first taste of big-league action this season, but he's turned things around of late and has been seeing the ball well since being recalled by the Cubs in September. Ballesteros is hitting .314 with a 1.000 OPS and a 10:7 K:BB in 12 games since returning to the majors. That kind of success at the plate could translate into a spot on the roster for the NL Wild Card series against the Padres, especially considering the struggles of the Cubs' offense in recent weeks.






