Cleveland Indians: Three in-house prospects who could be the fifth starter

Scott Moss

The No. 26 prospect in the Cleveland Indians organization, Scott Moss is the oldest player on the Tribe’s Top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com. Given his age and the fact that he’s a left-handed pitcher, like Allen and Hentges, Moss might be given the chance to leapfrog over Mejia into a starting role should Hentges be sent down at some point.

Acquired as part of the Trevor Bauer trade, Moss has been a slowly riser through the minor leagues. He spent a full season at Single-A in 2017, then a full season at High-A as well in 2018 before being included in the trade during the 2019 season. After 22 games in Double-A, he cracked Triple-A for four games in 2019.

As for this season, Moss has pitched two games for the Columbus Clippers and has had results similar to Mejia. His first outing was four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while tallying four strikeouts. His second start, however, wasn’t as great. He gave up two runs over two innings, walking four and giving up another three hits.

The sample size for Moss isn’t as impressive as Mejia’s, but his age and profile could be the difference in a close statistical race. Moss would be another lefty to fill the role and being 26 service time isn’t nearly as important for him.