Steven Moya

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #9 prospect in 2017
  Since his signing eight years ago, Moya has had one of the system's more intriguing skill sets. He's tall, strong and strapped with power. Because he's so tall, however, his ascent through the organization has been slowed by high strikeout totals. He made his big league debut in 2016, where those flaws were writ large with 38 strikeouts in 94 at-bats. Moya owns the best power in the system, but evaluators still question how often he'll get to it. Tigers coaches worked hard with Moya to shorten his swing and hone his pitch recognition, and he cut his strikeout rate to a career-low 22.5 percent at Triple-A Toledo in 2016. His struggles at the major league level suggest there is more work to be done, and his long-levered frame works against him in that regard. He's an adequate defender in right field with an above-average arm. He's a below-average runner, but not so much that he's considered a base-clogger. Moya is out of options, so it's now or never for him to stick in the major leagues. His competition as an extra outfielder, Tyler Collins, also is out of options, so Moya must turn his big-time raw power into a usable skill if he wants to stick in Detroit.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #11 prospect in 2016
  Moya's ceiling is among the highest in the system, but his hitting approach still makes him a high-risk prospect. After a breakout 2014 season in which he finally stayed healthy and ranked fourth in the minors with 35 home runs, Moya struggled upon making the jump to Triple-A. He still has enormous raw power to all parts of the park, with 70 power coming from his bat speed, strength, lift and leverage in his swing. Moya's power will always come with a heavy dose of strikeouts, but he will have to make more contact and develop better plate discipline to bring his OBP back above .300. Moya's huge 6-foot-7 frame gives him a big strike zone to cover, but he doesn't do himself any favors by frequently chasing pitches off the plate. His long arms make it difficult for him to keep his swing short, and he's still trying to get comfort- able with his swing after tinkering with his stance throughout the season. A foot injury slowed Moya at the start of the season, but he's surprisingly athletic for his size with average speed and a plus arm in right field. Moya still has tantalizing power potential if he can become a more selective hitter, but if he doesn't, he might end up topping out along the lines of Carlos Peguero.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #1 prospect in 2015
  Moya was born in Puerto Rico, but he grew up in the Dominican Republic and signed as an international free agent in 2008. Through his first three years in the system, he was a tall, lanky teenager with intriguing tools who was still learning to gain better body control and coordination of his long-levered frame, which showed in his underwhelming early performance. He struggled in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2010 and at low Class A West Michigan in 2011, but things started to click for him when he repeated the Midwest League in 2012'that is until Tommy John surgery cut his season short. A separated left shoulder in 2013 cut into his playing time again, but in 2014 Moya remained healthy, played more than 100 games for the first time in his career and had a breakthrough season at Double-A Erie. He led the Eastern League with 35 homers, which ranked fourth in the minors overall, and a .555 slugging average, then made his major league debut as a September callup, though he played sparingly in the big leagues. Moya can make any ballpark feel small with his well above-average raw power. He has plenty of lift in his swing, hitting balls over the fence to all fields in games and tying for third in the minors with 71 extra-base hits in 2014. He has good bat speed, generates tremendous leverage and has developed a better feel for his swing. Strike-zone discipline is Moya's biggest obstacle. His long arms lead to a long swing and too much swinging and missing. He led the EL with 161 strikeouts, whiffing in 29 percent of his plate appearances. With a large strike zone to cover, he doesn't do himself any favors by frequently chasing pitches off the plate, which contributes to his high strikeout rate and hampers his on-base percentage because he walked in just 4 percent of his trips to the plate. With all the time he's missed with injuries, Moya doesn't have as much game experience as most players his age, so his believers think he can make the necessary adjustments. He is surprisingly athletic for his size, with average speed and a plus arm. He earned praise from scouts for his routes in right field, something that wasn't the case entering 2014. The attributes are all there for Moya to be an average defensive right fielder. Moya is a divisive prospect. Some scouts project him as a middle-of-the-order force, while others question whether he will make enough contact. With Torii Hunter gone, the Tigers have a hole in right field, but Moya should open 2015 at Triple-A Toledo. If he dominates the International League, he might be a candidate to bring up by midseason, but his hitting approach is still raw enough that a full season of Triple-A at-bats could help him make a smoother transition to the big leagues.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #15 prospect in 2014
  Born in Puerto Rico, Moya grew up in the Dominican Republic and signed as an international free agent in 2008. Moya, who missed six weeks early in 2013 with a separated left shoulder, has an enormous frame with long arms and plenty of lift in his swing. He has plus raw power and can drive the ball over the fence to any part of the park when he gets his arms extended. Moya has trouble tapping into his power in games because of his free-swinging approach and long swing with plenty of holes. His 6-foot-6 frame gives pitchers a large strike zone, and he doesn't help himself by chasing pitches, leading to few walks and high strikeouts. Moya is athletic for his size and surprises people with average speed. Even after Tommy John surgery ended his 2012 season in June, Moya still has a plus arm. He has the tools to be a solid right fielder, but he gets poor reads off the bat. The Tigers love Moya's upside if everything clicks, so they put him on the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, but everything about his game remains raw.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #15 prospect in 2013
  Moya was born in Puerto Rico but signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2008. He's a physical monster who draws body comparisons to Dave Winfield. With his 6-foot-7 frame, Moya obviously has long limbs--which come with pros and cons. They add length to his swing, which leads to problems making contact, though he was able to shorten his stroke last year and cut his strikeout rate to 24 percent of his at-bats, down from 39 percent in his previous tour of the Midwest League. He also learned to use the opposite field, leading to the belief that he could be an average hitter. On the positive side, his size gives him excellent leverage and above-average power potential. Moya has surprisingly good athleticism and is an average runner. He has the plus arm strength necessary for right field, but his season ended in June when he needed Tommy John surgery. The recovery time isn't as long for position players as it is for pitchers, and he was ahead of schedule in the fall. Moya should be ready for spring training and could remain in Lakeland with the high Class A team.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Eastern League #18 prospect in 2014
  Armed with a body that one evaluator compared with a young Darryl Strawberry, Moya uses prodigious strength and long levers to generate incredible power. His 35 homers, 105 RBIs and .555 slugging percentage all led the EL, and he was honored after the season with the league's MVP award. Opposing teams noticed that Moya, despite the long levers, was able to keep his hands in close to his body and rotate his lower half to generate excellent bat speed. That and his keen hand-eye coordination will help him as he tries to reduce his strikeout total after leading the EL with 161 this season. Moya has added strength since his time in the lower levels, but that hasn't kept him from being light on his feet in the outfield and on the bases, where he stole 16 bags in 20 attempts. As a defender and a thrower, he grades as a tick above-average.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Since his signing eight years ago, Moya has had one of the system's more intriguing skill sets. He's tall, strong and strapped with power. Because he's so tall, however, his ascent through the organization has been slowed by high strikeout totals. He made his big league debut in 2016, where those flaws were writ large with 38 strikeouts in 94 at-bats. Scouting Report: Moya owns the best power in the system, but evaluators still question how often he'll get to it. Tigers coaches worked hard with Moya to shorten his swing and hone his pitch recognition, and he cut his strikeout rate to a career-low 22.5 percent at Triple-A Toledo in 2016. His struggles at the major league level suggest there is more work to be done, and his long-levered frame works against him in that regard. He's an adequate defender in right field with an above-average arm. He's a below-average runner, but not so much that he's considered a base-clogger.
  
  The Future: Moya is out of options, so it's now or never for him to stick in the major leagues. His competition as an extra outfielder, Tyler Collins, also is out of options, so Moya must turn his big-time raw power into a usable skill if he wants to stick in Detroit.