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Detroit Tigers Finally Call Up Steven Moya

By Kristen Bentley

Mar 11, 2016; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Steven Moya (33) hits an RBI double in the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros at Osceola County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Steven Moya (33) hits an RBI double in the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros at Osceola County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Detroit Tigers fans have had enough of the weakly hitting outfielders, so the news that Steven Moya will be making his 2016 debut with the team is greatly welcomed.

The big question about the call up is where Moya will play and how he will fit in the lineup.

The Detroit Tigers have been waiting and watching to see if Moya could get his bat under control and it finally looks like he has.

Just last week, Moya received the honor of being named the International League Batter of the Week. It is difficult to ignore those numbers, especially when there are hitters whose combined batting averages do not total what Moya has achieved in his hot week at the plate.

"S/O to Steven Moya, who has been named the International League Batter of the Week! He hit .458 with 4 homers and 10 RBI’s."

Moya’s position in Toledo is right field, but there is no way that he will take the place of J.D. Martinez – who is the best hitter in the outfield right now, and that is with a .230 batting average with five home runs. For comparison, Anthony Gose has a .209 with two home runs and Justin Upton has a .221 with two home runs and a league leading 53 strike outs. All three outfielders currently have negative dWAR numbers and Martinez’s is the lowest at -0.7. But, his more consistent bat, All-Star status, Silver Slugger, and Tiger of the Year award should keep him at his position.

Mar 2, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Steven Moya (33) works out prior to the game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Steven Moya (33) works out prior to the game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

It is clear that the long and lanky Moya is not built to play centerfield, but he can easily man the corners. Throughout his minor league career and in his late-season call-ups, he has played left field. Even though Upton is eating a huge piece of the $200 million pie, his plate performance has been so poor that it would be a relief to see Moya in left field in his place.

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Bringing up Moya would require a change in the lineup. Despite his long legs, he is not as fast as many would hope he is, so he would be a good option for the second half of the lineup. Honestly, he would most likely do just fine in the 5th or 6th spot. But, since J.D. Martinez’s production at the plate has dropped since he was moved to the second spot, it would be nice to see him go back to protecting Victor Martinez.

Now that Nick Castellanos is leading the American League in batting average, it is time to give him some protection. And, Miguel Cabrera would be the perfect protection. With Moya in and Upton out, this is the lineup I would like to see:

  1. Ian Kinsler
  2. Nick Castellanos
  3. Miguel Cabrera
  4. Victor Martinez
  5. J.D. Martinez
  6. Steven Moya
  7. Catcher
  8. Anthony Gose
  9. Jose Iglesias

Putting Moya later in the lineup takes away some of the pressure that a young player might experience. As he establishes his bat, he could give some protection to J.D. Martinez and make the middle of the lineup even more frightening for opposing pitchers in reality as it does on paper.

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