Moya Expects Better Understanding Of Strategy To Translate To Fewer Strikeouts
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Sitting in front of his locker in the Detroit Tigers clubhouse at Joker Marchant Stadium, 23-year-old outfielder Steven Moya grinned when he disclosed his goal for spring training.
"Do my best," Moya said, "so I can make these guys think about leaving me here."
Barring an injury, the Tigers will not need Moya in Detroit this season. They already have J.D. Martinez, Yoenis Cespedes, Anthony Gose and Rajai Davis to fill their outfield spots. Cespedes will be a free agent following this season, however, and the organization has referred to Moya as a potential superstar.
While he waits for his turn in the spotlight, Moya, who made his major league debut in September, has several current superstars from which to learn. Designated hitter Victor Martinez and first baseman Miguel Cabrera, two of the best hitters in baseball, have given tips to Moya on the importance of the mental side of the game.
"The only thing they say is that being patient – aggressive but patient at the same time - is one of the keys, and knowing the pitcher and what they are trying to do in certain situations," Moya said a few days before Martinez, who had offseason surgery, joined the team in Lakeland. "I think I will take advantage of Cabrera, that he's here now and ask him and see what the pitchers are trying to do in certain situations during the game, men on third, second, late in the game, early in the game, those kind of things that dictate what the pitcher's trying to do and help you to know what you can expect in that at bat."
Better understanding of pitching strategy should prove helpful for Moya, whose power always impresses but whose strikeouts remain a cause for some concern. In 133 games for Double-A Erie last season, Moya batted .276 and hammered 35 home runs but also struck out 161 times.
"Sometimes I'll get fooled a lot with pitches down in the zone, breaking pitches like changeups and stuff," Moya said. "But that's just because sometimes I hadn't understand the situation of the game or what the pitcher's trying to do, so if I can get that done, then I will be able to not even start to swing if they throw a changeup, [to] say, 'You know, I know what you're trying to do right now, so throw the fastball,' and that's what I'm trying to work on."
The outfielder believed he improved his plate discipline in the Arizona Fall League, where over 23 games he recorded a batting average of .289 and an impressive on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .871.
"I can't say it's easy now to hit, because it's not, but being able to say, 'Okay, this guy, he's going to do this because the situation calls [for] it,' it's been kind of better, I've been kind of better," Moya said. "Through the Arizona Fall League, I could understand more ... the pitcher's mind."
During Moya's month in the big leagues - he hit .375 over eight plate appearances - Moya observed Martinez study opposing pitchers every day. Martinez looked at how he hit the last time he faced a given pitcher, what the pitcher tried to do that time, and then Martinez formulated a plan based on what he expected the pitcher would do similarly or differently in the upcoming meeting.
"A lot of players, they just see it and hit it, because me, like in last year, I didn't know all this stuff, but I was able to see it and hit it," Moya said. "When you learn, those things make your game easier. You know what they're trying to do, but then you just have to keep doing what you were doing – just see it and hit it.
"That's all I'm focused on right now," Moya added. "If I see something in my strike zone, swing it – hard – and that's it."
