- Full name Timothy Moss
- Born
- Profile Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
The Phillies made Moss their top pick (third round) in 2003, a year after he helped Texas win the College World Series. Though he's an excellent athlete, he was raw for a player from a top college program. Some club officials were ready to write him off before he exploded in 2005. Moss isn't big but offers surprising power for his size because of his bat speed. His bat and foot speed actually increased in 2005, when he once again got down the first-base line in 4.1-4.15 seconds, as he had in college. He's unorthodox in the field, but his speed allows him to make plays and he's solid on the double-play pivot. One Phillies front-office member questions whether Moss really made any significant improvement in 2005 other than building confidence after a hot start. He still strikes out too much and needs to do a better job of getting on base. He struggles on routine defensive plays and has awkward throwing mechanics. It remains to be seen whether Moss' breakout was a fluke. He'll move to Double-A in 2006 and try to show that a smallish second baseman can keep punishing baseballs. -
Moss was the first of the three speedsters the Phillies took at the top of their 2003 draft. He's also the least polished. Moss comes from an athletic family, as his father Harry played baseball at Tennessee State and his sister Lanette played tennis at Texas-Arlington. The Phillies say that Moss' superb athleticism allowed him to skate through college with poor fundamentals, which caught up to him as a pro. He has a raw swing that's more suited for an aluminum bat. He has trouble getting his hands started to provide the bat speed and pop that doesn't come as easily with wood. He needs to draw a lot more walks and make a lot more contact to be anything more than a No. 8 hitter. Defensively, Moss has soft hands but needs to significantly improve his footwork. Moss got a late start at Batavia and was tired when he arrived because of a long college season. He struggled at first and then pressed, which caused a further downward spiral. The Phillies believe Moss has the athleticism and work ethic to improve, and they've compared him to Mark McLemore, who plays a similar game and also developed slowly. If Moss makes enough improvement over the offseason, he could begin 2004 in low Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
Moss was playing his way out of the Phillies' plans with his lack of polish before 2005. Everything started to come together for him in Clearwater, as he displayed his usual speed and surprising power. Moss shortened his stroke and suddenly found more pop, homering 17 times after totaling just three in his first 121 pro games. His speed continues to be a plus. He also improved defensively, and his hands and range are now considered average. His two-strike approach still needs work, as he's too aggressive and will chase pitches out of the zone. Moss also struggles with his throwing because he has awkward mechanics.