Moisés Ballesteros had always dreamed of hitting for the cycle. On Friday night, that dream came true.
The Cubs’ No. 6 prospect came to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with a single, a double and a home run to his name. With two strikes against him, the Venezuelan swung at an offering from left-hander Justin King (Brewers) that soared over the head of first baseman Ernesto Martínez Jr. and rolled into the right field corner of MGM Park. .
Ballesteros, who is 5-foot-7 and 195 pounds, accelerated and reached third base standing, pointing toward the Tennessee Smokies dugout en route to a 13-3 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers.
It was a monumental moment for Major League Baseball’s No. 91 prospect, but if you ask him, the cycle was the last thing on his mind as he waited in the on-deck circle.
“It’s the first cycle I’ve ever hit in my life,” Ballesteros said. “But when I went into that last at-bat, the thought of hitting for the cycle didn’t cross my mind. I just treated it as another opportunity. And thank God, I was able to get that triple.”
Ballesteros’ achievement reflects his success this season. The 20-year-old has an offensive line of .305/.379/.505, while his average and OPS are the second highest in the Southern League; His nine home runs place him in fourth place. He has accomplished all this while, on average, almost four years younger than the competition.
The Cubs knew Ballesteros’ bat was one of the most advanced in the 2020-21 international class, earning him a $1.2 million signing bonus. This was reflected in the following seasons, especially in 2023, when he was recognized as the Cubs’ Minor League Player of the Year.
Despite his strong performance, the young man still had a lot he wanted to achieve. He looks to fellow Venezuelan catcher and Royals fan favorite Salvador Perez as an inspiration for what his career could look like if he puts in the effort. He has focused on developing more power by improving his judgment in the batter’s box in hopes of laying the foundation to achieve that goal.
“I’m having better control when I’m at the plate,” Ballesteros said. “I’m picking better pitches and I’m not jumping at every pitch that comes into the zone. I’m looking for one that I can really do some damage with.”
