After spending years bouncing around in the MLB system, Steven Moya is having an absolute monster season in the CPBL.
Moya, 32, a native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, has been dominant in his first season in the CPBL. So far, through 71 games with the TSG Hawks, Moya has blasted 20 home runs and 60 RBIs in 271 at-bats, hitting for a .314 average. Mainly known as an outfielder throughout the majority of his career, Moya has made the transition over to first base. Playing in 30 games at first base, Moya holds a .965 fielding percentage, only making nine errors so far.
After his career with the Detroit Tigers ended in 2017, Moya took his talents to Japan from 2018-21, playing with the Chunichi Dragons and the Orix Buffaloes. He powered over 60 home runs while playing in Japan before not playing anywhere for the 2022 season. But after not playing with any affiliated team during the year, he quickly played in the LIDOM with the Toros del Este for six games.
For his 2023 season, Moya started the year with the Atlantic League’s Gastonia Honey Hunters (now Gastonia Baseball Club). Playing his first year in the Atlantic League, Moya played in 33 games, hitting .321, with 16 homers, 45 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of .435. During that year, he was picked up by LMB’s Acereros de Monclova but only played in 3 games.
Moya was also selected in Baseball United’s draft, which is set to be Dubai’s first professional baseball league, by the Karachi Monarchs. He also played in the inaugural 2023 All-Star Showcase game in Dubai, going 1-5 in 2 games with a double.
With Moya on pace to play another strong season in the CPBL this season, it will be fascinating to see if he can keep this pace going. As the CPBL’s league leader in home runs, will Moya’s power surge continue for the remainder of the year?
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WBN CPBL: https://worldbaseball.com/?s=cpbl
Photo Credit: Steven Moya #33 of the Detroit Tigers looks on from the dugout. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
