Iowa Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros was struggling to start the season when he made an important adjustment at the plate. Ballesteros, who was having trouble with pitches on the outer part of the plate, focused on staying inside the ball with his swing for the offerings.
The little change resulted in some big-time results for Ballesteros. After making the adjustment, the young Iowa backstop quickly got back on track and started getting the results like the ones that made him one of the top prospects in the entire organization.
“I feel comfortable right now,” Ballesteros said. “I feel more relaxed at home plate.”
Ballesteros certainly looks comfortable at the plate hitting .367/.433/.567 with four doubles and two home runs in the first 15 games of the season for the Iowa Cubs. Those are familiar numbers for Ballesteros who has hit his way through the minor leagues.
The 21-year-old backstop has rapidly risen through the minor leagues thanks to his big bat which produced gigantic results last season with Ballesteros hitting .289/.354/.471 with 19 homers across two different levels last season.
“He can hit,” said Iowa manager Marty Pevey. “Whoever his hitting coach is, is a good one.”
Part of what makes Ballesteros such a strong hitter is his mature approach at the plate. It showed up early in the season when he made that minor adjustment.
It was during that trip to Toledo that Ballesteros turned things around. He tallied six hits in the first three games of the series and improved his batting average to .308.
With a first-inning single against the St. Paul Saints on April 18, Ballesteros extended his season-high hitting streak to eight games. He has produced a 1.000 OPS through his first 60-bats with Iowa in 2025.
Ballesteros has been so good this season that Pevey joked he’s tried to stay away from perhaps the hottest hitter on his team.
“I don’t even want to talk to him,” Pevey said.
Ballesteros’ ability at the plate has rarely been doubted. It’s his work behind the plate as a catcher that is the biggest question mark. Ballesteros owns an advanced bat but still has work to do to become an everyday catcher.
He has already made massive strides thanks to some changes he made in the offseason. Ballesteros, an avid eater of fast food including McDonalds, Wendy’s and KFC, gave up on all of it, along with pop.
It led to a big-time body change for Ballesteros, who dropped around 20 pounds. The hope is that it would make Ballesteros more athletic as a catcher. That, along with the extra work Ballesteros has put in, has helped him defensively.
Pevey said that Ballesteros has been working closely with Iowa bench coach Kyle Moore every day. The emphasis has been on receiving and blocking balls, especially on his glove side. Ballesteros has also put in time with his pitchers putting together game plans.
It has worked.
“His glove work is coming along,” Pevey said. “He’s starting to get some very positive work behind the plate.”
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468