MLB analyst puts pressure on Cubs’ Moises Ballesteros to perform originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Cubs have had an excellent offseason thus far. They made several moves to address their needs and come out as contenders in the NL Central.
Advertisement
They came to terms with a group of arms that includes Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar, Hoby Milner, and Jacob Webb. But their biggest splash came when they acquired Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Miami Marlins and came to terms with Alex Bregman.
However, you cannot overlook them losing Kyle Tucker. He was a great source of left-handed power and will now be suiting up for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
MORE: MLB insider puts pressure on Cubs’ Cade Horton to continue his success
MLB analyst puts pressure on Cubs’ Moises Ballesteros to perform
Losing Tucker thins out the club’s outlook from the left side of the batter’s box. Now, they have Moises Ballesteros, Michael Busch, and Pete Crow-Armstrong as the likely starting trio of left-handed hitters.
Advertisement
MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan puts the pressure on Ballesteros to offset some of the offense lost when Tucker signed with the Blue Crew.
“Signing third baseman Alex Bregman addressed one of the Cubs’ most glaring weaknesses, but that move alone won’t fully offset the loss of Kyle Tucker. The right fielder operates on a different offensive plane than Bregman, and his departure has left Chicago notably thinner in left-handed power. That void has put more of an onus on Ballesteros, MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect.”
That is quite a lot of pressure to put on someone who only has 20 games of MLB work under his belt. However, after 66 plate appearances, he was able to show a glimpse of his power, muscling out two home runs while driving in 11 runs.
Hopefully, the young slugger is ready for a much bigger role this upcoming season, because the Cubs will need him to be a key contributor offensively.
Advertisement
More MLB news: