Former Brook Hill, Texas A&M standout JB Moss enjoying fresh start with Colorado Rockies

Published 7:48 pm Sunday, January 21, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is Part 4 of a seven-part series highlighting area pro athletes doing their offseason preparation at Tyler’s Accelerate Performance Enhancement Center (APEC). Today: J.B. Moss (Brook Hill/Colorado Rockies); Tuesday: Mason House (Whitehouse/San Diego Padres); Wednesday: A.J. Minter (Brook Hill/Atlanta Braves); Thursday: Michael Kopech (Mount Pleasant/Chicago White Sox)

J.B. Moss wanted an opportunity.

The Colorado Rockies stepped forward to give him one.

The Bullard Brook Hill and Texas A&M standout is entering his third year as a professional baseball player, and he hopes it’s his best yet.

Moss is putting in daily work with director Bobby Stroupe and his team of professionals at Accelerate Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) in Tyler as part of its annual offseason program designed to prepare them for the grind of their upcoming seasons to prevent injuries while increasing their abilities in a variety of areas.

“It’s really about being at your peak performance as far as speed and power because that is what the game is heading to,” Moss said about his focus in the APEC program. “You want to be the fastest you possibly can while being the most explosive you possibly can. APEC does a great job of combining those two factors in trying to make you the best overall athlete you can be.”

He’s willing and able to put whatever work is needed into achieving his goal of playing in the major leagues, and is looking forward to continuing his growth with Colorado.

“I think if you’re in this profession and your goal is not to make it to the major leagues, you’re kind of wasting your time,” Moss said. “I don’t really want to feel it out in the minor leagues for a long time. I want to give it my best and get to the majors as soon as possible. The higher level (to start) at, the better.”

In two years with the Atlanta Braves, Moss did not move past Single-A. 

He was taken in the seventh round out of Texas A&M by Atlanta in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft. He progressed in his first season up from rookie ball to Single-A. Moss finished with a .271 average and 19 RBIs. 

During his first APEC offseason last year, Moss set a goal to move up in the minors and be in Triple-A by the end of 2017, which would put him on the cusp of the big league club.

But after spring training, the Braves assigned Moss back to the same Single-A team. After 12 games, he was released.

Then the Rockies stepped forward.

“(Atlanta) had the No. 1 farm system in all of baseball and ended up getting in trouble for it because they were signing a bunch of international guys illegally,” Moss said. “I am not using that as an excuse, but I wasn’t really given an opportunity there. With the Rockies, they picked me up and seemed to be excited about me. What I was excited about most is (Colorado) put me at center field, which is the position I want to play.”

Playing for the Rockies’ Single-A Boise Hawks, Moss hit seven home runs and had 30 RBIs in 46 games In comparison, Moss hit one home run total in his time with the Braves.

“They seemed to like me and I was pretty proud of the numbers I put up (at Boise),” Moss said. “The fit is a big thing. I felt wanted and needed by the Colorado Rockies. They gave me an opportunity and I am just trying to make the most of it.”

One adage about playing for the Rockies is hitting in high altitude. Moss said Colorado conditions its players for the conditions by having its minor league clubs also in high altitude, like Boise, Idaho.

“They have a team in Colorado Springs and Albuquerque, New Mexico, so they get you acclimated to the higher altitude,” Moss said. “This last year with the Rockies was my first year to kind of hit the ball in the air. I ended up hitting seven home runs in under 200 at-bats.”

Rockies position players are scheduled to report to spring training Feb. 18 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“I am really just trying to take my opportunity and run with it,” Moss said.