Hitting coach Dustin Kelly can still remember the awe a then-18-year-old Moisés Ballesteros generated around the Chicago Cubs’ spring complex when he arrived in Arizona to join his first stateside affiliate squad for the 2022 season.
Within his first two swings during live batting practice, Ballesteros drove a home run to dead center field.
“Everybody’s like, who is that kid?” Kelly told the Tribune. “He just has incredible rhythm and timing. And I think that’s what you notice first when he steps into the box, he’s just really comfortable, and he just has a movement and a flow to him that’s really confident.”
Ballesteros’ smooth swing and elite hit tool rocketed him through the Cubs’ farm system to join rare company when he made the opening day roster. Ballesteros, at 22 years and 138 days, became the youngest designated hitter to play for the Cubs on opening day. Only five players younger than him played on opening day for the Cubs since 1963: Addison Russell, Starlin Castro, Greg Maddux, Shawon Dunston and Ken Hubbs.
Although he’s had a slow start to the season, going 1-for-10 in the opening series against the Washington Nationals, the Cubs believe Ballesteros is poised for a big year. Ballesteros collected his first RBIs of the season with a timely two-out two-run single in the third off Los Angeles Angels starter Ryan Johnson to put the Cubs up 6-0 on Monday.
“As he matures and gets older, he’s going to open up that pull-side power, like we’ve seen guys like Pete (Crow-Armstrong) did last year, they start to just learn how to pull the ball properly, and he’s able to elevate it to the pull side you’re going to see a guy that can use all fields and hit home runs, which is really cool,” Kelly said. “We’re not saying, go hit a bunch of home runs, but the way that his natural arc works in his swing path, he’s going to drive the balls in the middle of the field.”
Sign up for our Cubs Insider newsletter
When lauding Ballesteros’ natural hitting ability at one point during spring training, manager Craig Counsell recalled how, during camp, he called the Cubs’ hitting coaches together and jokingly told them to stay away from the rookie.
“He’s so young, and he does a lot of things well, and he’s going to improve,” Counsell said. “I think someday Moisés will hit a lot of home runs. I don’t think it’ll be this year, but I think someday he’ll hit a lot of home runs. … With his hitting gifts as he gets more experience and learns pitchers and learns his swing and things like that, he’s definitely capable of doing it.
The Cubs want to still develop Ballesteros as a catcher, but those game reps this year will be limited as long as Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya are healthy.
Chicago Cubs Seiya Suzuki, Moisés Ballesteros and third base coach Quintin Berry celebrate after Suzuki drove in a run on a double in the third inning of a game against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Sept. 24, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Ballesteros’ playing time is expected to continue to largely come as the DH, giving the Cubs a platoon advantage in that spot against right-handers. That doesn’t appear poised to significantly change this early in the season, even as Seiya Suzuki nears a return from his PCL sprain. The Cubs want Suzuki to be healthy enough to resume his starting role in right field, which means being able to handle the running and movement he needs to roam the outfield.
Suzuki’s timeline to return from the injured list remains on track for where it was projected at the end of spring training. Counsell reiterated Monday that Suzuki could rejoin the Cubs during their upcoming road trip and that they’re at the “last steps” of the rehab process. One key part of Suzuki’s progression comes Tuesday when he will run at full speed, make quick changes of direction, then stop. The Cubs will then assess which day Suzuki begins his rehab assignment and how many at-bats he might need.
The Cubs aren’t envisioning fully using Suzuki as the DH to get him back quicker.
“It’s important that he be able to play right field, yes,” Counsell said of Suzuki. “I don’t think he needs to play right field every day, but I do think we very much want him to be capable of playing right field when he comes back, at least on a semi-regular basis. If he couldn’t, it would be better to invest more time in his healing.”