Editor's Note: Mike Diaz recently had a chance to scout Mike Moustakas for us in person. Along with his video, here are his scouting notes:
Hitting
Moustakas is very quiet at the plate with little movement and little tension. He has a very simple load, getting his hands to attack position efficiently. Moustakas generates his power with lightning-quick hands. He generates bat speed with little effort.
His plate discipline has improved as he worked himself into hitter’s counts throughout the game. With that said, Moustakas still expanded the zone a number of times above the belt. His aggressiveness can be his both his biggest strength and his biggest weakness. Opposing pitchers continually attacked Moustakas in and up. Major league pitchers will most assuredly do the same. While he was pounded in on a regular basis, Moustakas still needs to do a better job of keeping his hands inside the baseball, as he comes around the ball often.
Defense
Moustakas is a below-average athlete, and a bit slow-footed in the field. He does posses well-above-average arm strength, and his hands are decent. He can make all the routine plays, but lacks the range to be a plus defender at third base.
Physical Appearance
Moustakas was much shorter in person than I ever imagined. He looked to be only about 5-foot-10 and was not as muscular as I envisioned. His upper body
still has room to add bulk. He has a thick lower half, which could be an issue down the road as he gets older. Maintaining his conditioning will be key for him staying at third base long-term. I clocked Moustakas at 4.65 on a turn to first base, which is below average.
Overall
Moustakas has tremendous power potential, but concerns about making consistent contact are real. He still needs refinement on his approach and patience at the plate. His bat speed is real and his track record backs that up. He will never be a gold glove winner at third base, but is definitely not a liability currently. He has a chance to be an above-average big leaguer, but I don’t see star-level potential.
Follow Mike Diaz on Twitter @mikedeez.