Gerson Moreno Brings Heat To AFL

Righthander Gerson Moreno keeps proving that he’s up for a new challenge, so the Tigers keep giving him new ones.

The 22-year-old reliever out of the Dominican Republic has progressed steadily through the system, reaching Double-A Erie this season. The Tigers decided he was ready for a new challenge and sent him to the Arizona Fall League.

Moreno’s impressive fastball is a big reason why.

“It’s really good,” farm director Dave Owen said. “It’s a plus-plus fastball. He can get it up there around 100 (mph). He’s just got a nice, easy, fluid arm action. The ball really jumps out of his hand. He’s got a power fastball. It’s legit.”

Moreno, who signed in 2012, has increased his strikeout rate in each season. He improved from 9.8 per nine innings at two Class A levels in 2016 to 11.8 per nine in 2017.

Moreno has more than just a fastball.

“His slider is really good,” Owen said. “Obviously, he’s got to command it and he’s got to be consistent with it. But the shape of it and the power of it, it’s there. It’s a good one. It’s a power slider.”

The 6-foot, 170-pound Moreno also is working to develop an effective changeup. But it sounds as if that could be more of an added bonus than it is a make-or-break pitch.

“The two he’s got right now, they can dominate you,” Owen said. “He’s pretty good with two.”

Moreno struggled at Erie in 2017 (6.43 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) after at high Class A Lakeland (2.01 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), but the Tigers have seen him struggle and then surge before. For instance, in 2016 he ran up a 6.93 ERA at Lakeland only to dominate the level the next season.

Moreno probably will start 2018 at Erie and advance to Triple-A Toledo at some point. That would put him a short drive and one phone call away from Comerica Park, where the Tigers are sure to need some backup in the bullpen in 2018.