Moreland has pitching capabilities
As a senior at Amory (Miss.) High, Moreland had a 7-1 record and 0.53 ERA. Over 55 innings he walked only 19 and struck out 112.
That's not a misprint. The lefthander struck out an average of 18.3 batters every nine innings.
"Most colleges recruited me as a pitcher," said Moreland, who had a 25-2 high school record. "But I got to Mississippi State, where I hit, too, and it ended up working out that way."
With a low 90s fastball, tight slider and good changeup, Moreland made 16 relief appearances for MSU's College World Series team in 2007.
Then came the 2007 baseball draft.
"I had more teams looking at me to pitch than I did hit going into the draft," Moreland, 24, said. "But the Rangers picked me as a hitter and it's kind of gone from there."
Texas took Moreland in the 17th round of the baseball draft three years ago.
To say that he's best a success as a hitter would be a big understatement. He came into this season, his fourth as a pro, with a .321 career batting average.
Last year the Rangers picked him as their Minor League Player of the Year, after he hit .331 with 16 home runs and 85 RBIs in 116 Class A and AA games.
Moreland was primarily a first baseman in college, and Rangers figured he would play there professionally. But Texas now has young first base prospects Justin Smoak and Chris Davis, and Moreland has played exclusively in the outfield this year.
"Outfield," Moreland said, "is something I've kind of tried to pick up for a little more versatility, so I can be a little more useful and help the team out more."
Moreland has played 27 games in right field and one game in left field for the RedHawks, all error-free, in his Triple-A debut. He has hit .324 since May 2, raising his season average from .211 to .248 with three homers and 19 RBIs.
Has Moreland's experience as a pitcher help him as a hitter?
"As a pitcher," he said, "you have an idea of how you're going to approach a hitter and you try to take that information as a hitter when you go to the plate. But sometimes you're not right. Sometimes things don't work out.
"So I guess you just have to go up there and think about certain counts, about what you would do as a pitcher. I guess I kind of look at that as a hitter, how they might approach me. So it helps some, but at the same time you've still got to go up there and compete."
And, if Moreland doesn't reach the major leagues as a hitter, might he try to pitch professionally?
"I hope not," he said. "I hope this works out. But if it doesn't, that's kind of my backup, my fallback plan, as long as I can keep playing."
Because, asked his preference between hitting and pitching, Moreland said: "Just playing. Just being between the lines."