Back in 2014, Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Steven Moya was truly able to burst onto the scene. Through 133 games in Double-A Erie, the left-handed slugger struck out a whopping 161 times, but he batted an impressive .276/.306/.555 with 35 home runs and 105 RBIs. He was also named Eastern League MVP.

In November of 2014, Moya was ranked by Baseball America as the second-best prospect in the Tigers’ system, trailing only Devon Travis who was later traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Anthony Gose. In 2015, however, Moya’s stock fell quite a bit.

Last April, Moya’s season in the minors was interrupted by a foot injury, and he went on to hit only .243/.283/.431 with 23 home runs and 82 RBIs across 135 games in Class A Advanced Lakeland and Triple-A Toledo. The power was there, but the low average, low on-base percentage and high strikeout numbers were a bit concerning. For the second straight year, Moya did in fact receive a September call-up, but he went only 4-for-22 with one extra-base hit.

This winter, though, Moya was able to find his swing again while playing in the Dominican League. Through 35 games, he had a .298/.350/.466 triple-slash with four homers and 27 RBIs, which is clearly a positive sign.

Somewhat surprisingly, Moya’s name no longer appears on Baseball America’s top 10 list of Tigers prospects. He is, however, ranked by MLB.com as the No. 2 prospect in the system, trailing only promising young right-hander Michael Fulmer.

Heading into spring training, it appears that there is no clear opening for Moya on the club’s 25-man roster. The Tigers’ outfield picture seems to be all but set with Justin Upton in left, J.D. Martinez in right and Cameron Maybin and Gose platooning in center. The Tigers also have a pair of utility men who can play outfield in Andrew Romine and Mike Aviles.

In the event of an injury, one would also have to believe that Tyler Collins is higher up on the depth chart. Plus, the Tigers also have another up-and-coming outfielder in Wynton Bernard who has recently been opening a few eyes as well.

Still, there is no reason for Moya to hang his head. His light-tower power is an extremely valuable skill, and at only 24 years of age, he could still have a very bright future ahead of him.