Catching Up with… Jon Moscot

At Monday afternoon’s practice Palisadian-Post Sports Editor Steve Galluzzo visited with former Palisades High pitcher Jon Moscot, who came to help his former coach, Mike Voelkel, conduct throwing drills with his pitchers. Moscot was the  school’s Post Cup Award winner as Outstanding Senior Athlete in 2009, went on to play at Cuesta College and Pepperdine University and was picked by Cincinnati in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The 23-year-old was promoted to the Louisville Bats, the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, in August and is currently taking his last classes at Pepperdine, where he’ll graduate at the end of the semester with a degree in Economics. His younger brother Jed is a senior pitcher and third baseman for the Dolphins. While he is back home in the Palisades, Jon is offering lessons to little league through high school level players. To schedule a private lesson with Moscot call 310-592-9168.

PP: What was the hardest adjustment you had to make going from high school to college?

JM: The biggest things is that when you’re in high school the world revolves around that. Afterwards I was competing with thousands of kids and all of a sudden I wasn’t the best. Everyone was the star player at their high school, so it was humbling at first but it also made me want it more.

PP: What is the best advice you can give to young players?

JM: Stick to what works for them and don’t give up. A lot of guys give up before they ever realize their potential. You have to grind it out and have a good mental attitude. My brother has a huge advantage because he sees the level I’m at, so I’m a little harder on him but he understands.

PP: How important is velocity for a high school pitcher?  

JM: I didn’t throw hard in high school. I threw 86 to 88 miles per hour, and in junior college I still wasn’t the hardest thrower, but by the time I got to Pepperdine I’d developed my breaking ball, improved my location and command and was able to change speeds to keep hitters off balance and that’s what pitching is about. Now I’m between 90 and 94 miles an hour, so I’ve done a lot to increase my velocity. Five miles per hour is the difference between getting drafted and not getting drafted, but you also must have control. [Greg] Maddux is a prime example of someone who didn’t throw the hardest but was one of the best ever because he never threw the same pitch twice and he had great late movement.

PP: Going all the way back to your childhood days, what coach has taught you the most? 

JM: It’s tough to pick just one because I’ve had so many good ones but at the time Coach [Mike] Voelkel at Palisades was very influential. I can remember thinking I was all that and he kicked me into gear and got me to work on flaws I had in my delivery. I’ve also had a couple of coaches in pro ball who have helped tremendously. They’ve pitched multiple years in the Big Leagues and they’re similar to me in their mental approach to the game.

PP: Pali High won 48 of 49 league games in your three years on varsity. Is there a game or a moment you remember most?

JM: One of the games that comes to mind is one I didn’t even play in. It was the playoff game against Chatsworth my sophomore year when they had [current Major Leaguers] Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez. That really inspired me.

PP: Where were you when you got the word that you were being called up to Triple-A?

JM: We’d just played a Saturday night game in Pensacola and I had all of my bags packed for a five-day road trip to Jacksonville. We got in around 5 a.m. and when I woke up I had about eight missed calls from my manager, who told me I had to fly to Indianapolis because I was starting the next day. It was a whirlwind but it was incredible. I didn’t get the decision but I pitched into the sixth inning and we won in the 11th.

PP: Everyone sees and hears about the MLB, but what’s life like in the minor leagues? 

JM: It’s a lot of travel, you see a lot of interesting places but it’s not as glorious as they make it out to be. You’re competing against players from other countries, not just in America, so it requires an incredible amount of discipline.

PP: What will you do to prepare for next season?

JM: I have the mindset that I’m going to be in the majors. Spring training is the beginning of February in Arizona and I’m looking forward to it. One thing that really helps is that I work out with four Major League guys so I see what they do on a daily basis and I expect that of myself. We go through a pretty strict regimen — weightlifting, nutrition, throwing and long toss. I want to finish up my degree this fall but when the season rolls around it’s all baseball from that point forward.

PP: What do you enjoy most about coming back and working with Pali High’s current players?

JM: Being around the team is great for me because it reminds me that just a few years ago I was right where they are now. So much happens so fast once you leave high school, so it’s exciting to come back and give them advice or work with them on their mechanics. It’s not just one thing, it’s the whole experience I enjoy.”