Jon Moscot’s tweet about tonight’s debut

By Scott Barancik, editor

Jon Moscot, a 23-year-old starter, will make his MLB debut 7:10pm ET tonight as the Reds face the San Diego Padres in Cincinnati.

“Unexpected” may be the best way to describe it. Moscot isn’t on the Reds’ 40-man roster. MLB.com‘s prospect rankings for the Reds list six RHPs ahead of him. It was only two years ago that the Santa Monica native went 2-14 for the Bakersfield Blaze (High-A). Moscot was selected in the 4th round of the 2012 draft, 142nd overall.

But the Reds’ staff had the wisdom to look beyond the won-loss record and relatively slow fastball. Take that seemingly disastrous 2013 season. Did the franchise demote Moscot late in the season? No, the opposite: he was promoted to Double-A, where he finished the year 2-1 with a significantly lower ERA.

“The big right-hander out of Pepperdine has average stuff across the board, but he knows what to do with it,” MLB.com explains. “All of his stuff plays up because he is able to locate well and keep hitters guessing. Big, strong and durable, Moscot does throw downhill, albeit without a ton of deception.” The 6’4″, 210-pounder also impressed Reds manager Bryan Price during this year’s Spring Training, his first with the big-league squad. Moscot went on to lead the Louisville Bats (AAA) this season with a 7-1 record and 3.15 ERA.

Ironically, the recent demotion of another Jewish right-hander to the bullpen — Reds veteran Jason Marquis — may have helped pave Moscot’s way to tonight’s debut. (UPDATE, 6/5/2015 @ 4:05pm: To make room for Moscot, the Reds have designated Marquis for assignment.)

“3 yrs ago the Reds called on draft day,” Moscot tweeted today. “Tonight I get to live out my dream in front of my family & friends. Words cant describe this feeling.”

Want our daily updates sent free to your e-mailbox? Click here