Tigers’ prospect Steven Moya hit his first homer of the spring on Wednesday, sending a towering fly over the left field fence for an opposite field bomb. After an 11 game debut in Detroit at the end of last season, he has the chance to make his first Opening Day roster.
The power finally arrived in a big way during the 2014 season. Injuries kept the 23-year old from playing more than 100 games in any season up until last year, and he hadn’t hit more than 13 homers in any season. 2015 was a different story, as he belted 35 homers and drove in over 100 runs in 133 games in Double-A Erie. With the injuries hopefully behind him, Tigers fans should be really excited about the power potential that the 6 foot 7, 260 pound slugger may offer.
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Moya’s best case scenario pro comparison at this point is the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton. They have similar body types (Stanton is an inch shorter and 20 pounds lighter), and both have extraordinary raw power. Despite their big frames, both play the outfield as opposed to first base or DH. At this point, the comparisons stop right about there. Moya doesn’t get on base nearly as much as Stanton did in the Minor Leagues, as he has just a .251 career batting average and .295 OBP since signing with the team in 2009. The strikeouts are somewhat of a concern, but its less of an issue because every power hitter struggles with them. Stanton’s strikeout rate in the Minor Leagues weren’t much different than the Tigers prospect’s.
At this point Moya is far from a complete product. It seems like he’ll be able to become a power bat off the bench in the Majors, at the very least. But there is reason for optimism when it comes to his complete game. If Moya can have a more disciplined approach at the plate, the Tigers can definitely live with his mediocre contact rate. Extra base hits are the name of the game for the Puerto Rican, as he frequently hits balls into the gap if they aren’t going over the fence. The high slugging rate allowed his OPS to be .861 despite only getting on base at a .306 rate. Walking infrequently won’t cut it in the big leagues for a power hitter like Moya, so I’m sure the Tigers are working on making him a little bit more selective.
An interesting aspect of the lefthanded hitter’s game is his speed He hit 11 triples over the last three seasons and stole 16 bags last year, getting caught just 4 times. The most Stanton has ever had in any season was 13, and that was in more games. It clearly says a lot about the athleticism of the young man if he is able to hit for power and steal bases at 260 pounds. His arm in the outfield is above average as well, even after 2012 Tommy John Surgery. He should be a natural right fielder in the big leagues, but any other arm trouble could relegate him to a 1B/DH role.
The Tigers don’t have any for sure starting spots secured in their outfield, aside from trade acquisition Yoenis Cespedes. The other outfielders vying for playing time are Rajai Davis, Anthony Gose, Tyler Collins, and Moya. There is a good chance that Moya would beat out Collins because of his potential power off the bench, and it will come down to his ability to get on base in order to earn a spot away from the two former Blue Jays outfielders.
Even though he is 23, we shouldn’t forget that he hasn’t played above Double-A ball, and a full season in the Majors would probably come with some rough patches. The experience gained could be vital for the future of the team, but the team would be wise to be cautious with playing him too much, too early. His raw potential should be very fun to watch for the rest of the Spring, and will go a long way towards determining what kind of role, if any, he’ll have on the 2015 Tigers.
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