The Chicago Cubs are gearing up to sign their next international class on Thursday, the opening day of the 2026 period.
The Cubs have nearly $6.7 million to spend on their prospects, which can be signed up until Dec. 15. Chicago could also trade some of its bonus pool money for players, or vice versa, at any time.
The Cubs have done well internationally of late. But one prospect stands out, as MLB.com named each franchise’s current international prospect in anticipation of the opening of the signing window.
Chicago Cubs’ top current international prospect
Per MLB.com, the Cubs’ current top international prospect isn’t that much of a surprise. It’s catcher Moises Ballesteros, who made his Major League debut last year. Ballesteros is the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline and is No. 53 in the site’s Top 100, which will be re-ranked next week.
Even with the changes to the Cubs’ roster this offseason, he’s expected to have a role offensively, most likely as a designated hitter with both Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya behind the plate.
Chicago signed Ballesteros out of Venezuela as part of their 2021 international class. His $1.2 million signing bonus was the second largest for a catcher and for the Cubs during that cycle. His hit tool graded out at 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale and it’s no surprise that he helped him zoom through the organization.
He had a sharp debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2021, as he slashed .266/.396/.390 with three home runs and 25 RBI. That got him a ticket stateside in 2022, where he played for both the Cubs’ Arizona Complex League and Class-A Myrtle Beach, as he slashed .257/.351/.461 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI.
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His move through the system really gathered steam in 2023, as he slashed .285/.374/.449 with 14 home runs and 64 with Myrtle Beach, High-A South Bend, and Double-A Tennessee. He got to Triple-A Iowa by 20 years old and slashed .289/.354/.471 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI. He was named Chicago’s minor league player of the year, setting the stage for a potential debut last season.
The Cubs promoted Ballesteros for the first time on May 13, but he was quickly sent back. He went back and forth two other times and finished the campaign with Chicago, as he slashed .298/.394/.474 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 20 MLB games. Meanwhile, he slashed .316/.385/.473 with 13 home runs and 76 RBI at Iowa, indicating that he’s ready to be a full-time MLB player.
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