Jose Moreno

Position: RHSP
Level: Extended Spring Training
Affiliate: XST Cardinals
League: Extended Spring Training
Born: 08/20/2000 (Age: 23)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 170
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as international free agent February 3, 2017 (STL)

Prospect Spotlight

Moreno signed with the Cardinals for 125K in 2017. The Venezuelan righty pitched the next two summers in the DSL, posting meddling strikeout numbers but limiting walks and displaying advanced pitchability. Still just 18-years-old until the end of this season, he doesn’t have dominant stuff or standout projection to fit into the FV 40 tier (or higher) right now, though Moreno’s overall feel and control numbers make him an interesting follow.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, it’s a medium frame with square shoulders and some baby fat through the middle that could tone up into muscle as he ages. Moreno repeats his delivery, though there’s effort out in front that he’ll need to iron out with strength gains. The fastball sits around 90 mph, ranging from 89 to 93 mph overall, with long armside run. Moreno commands the pitch loosely within the zone, though he shows enough general feel for strikes to project command down the road. His best off-speed is a mid-80s changeup, thrown with deceptive armspeed but lacking consistent action. At its best, the pitch showed workable fade. Moreno’s long arm-circle and recoil through release hinder his present feel for spin, struggling to get consistent break on a loose 74-to-78 curveball. He’s able to sequence both secondaries and shows some idea of how to set up hitters.