I wrote earlier about Moises Ballesteros getting called up and laying some expectations that were pretty lofty. Like him hitting .300+ and being the 5-hitter in a playoff lineup and the Cubs DH for the next decade and a bunch of other lofty shit. And I said that because I believe it because I love his profile and mechanics and makeup and a bunch of other shit.
So this is a blog about that shit.
Here’s a complete list of reasons to love Moises:
- He’s 21 years old which was Kris Bryant’s age when he got drafted out of college and two eyars before his debut
- He’s chubby, which means there’s a chip on his shoulder. Chubby players are more disciplined in the batters box and usually have softer hands and are better with the breaking stuff. So there’s a good tradeoff between foot speed and bat speed and I think he’s got the perfect amount of chunk. There’s enough for him to be sensitive but not enough to literally weigh him down. With a good weight program and the right motivation, he could very easily become muscular thicc and that’s where I see 40+ homer potential. But right now he’s just young and a little chubby.
- Venezuelan which culturally means he plays his dick off
- Can’t grow a beard yet which lines up well with being young and chubby. There’s room to grow and get stronger. Right now he’s excelling off pure talent and hand-eye coordination. So just imagine how much better he can be with a big league strength/conditioning staff as he gets older and stronger
- He’s way too talented for AAA but still not strong or developed enough for the big leagues. So he’s going to have some success right away but it should only steadily improve throughout the season and beyond. He’s nowhere near a finished product while still being good enough to hit 5th on a 90-win team
- Lefty
- Balanced
- Professional beyond his years meaning he comes big league ready in his mannerisms, strike zone discipline, swag, relationships, presence/aura, and everything in between. You would think he’s been in the big leagues for a decade by the way he walks around a field and again he can’t even grow a beard yet
- Youngest Cub to make his debut since Starlin Castro like 15 years ago
- He doesn’t have a position on the field which kinda creates this pressure to give you the best at-bat every single time and he treats it super serious as you’d expect. But not having a position in the field removes his ability to find value defensively which increases the urgency to have great at-bats, which is a rare thing in player development. Normally DH’s happen over time but to be brought up as a DH only really speaks volumes to how good he is at hitting.
- Momma’s boy
- Hits the ball to left center which is a good indicator of approach. It’s more impressive because you can always pull for power but it’s much harder to drive the ball middle-other-way. So for him to develop so quickly with such and advanced approach while being so young just means it’s only going to get better. There’s nowhere to go but up when you have the foundation built as sturdy as Ballesteros and that’s probably the #1 reason why I love this dude so much. There’s nothing too absurd when talking about just how good he can be
- Last but maybe most important, chains. Not too thick or flashy. Just the right amount of chain swag. It’s perfect.
Go Cubs.