Moya rewriting SeaWolves record books

Off the field, Steven Moya has an unassuming reputation. He works hard and takes nothing for granted. On the field, he's a grinder and he likes to put on a show for his fans.

And while Double-A Erie won't be spilling champagne this postseason, the Eastern League's MVP-in-waiting will certainly have reasons to celebrate his year on the field.

Already putting up franchise number this season, Detroit's No. 7 prospect continued his breakout year by going 4-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored and an RBI to help the host SeaWolves rally past the Double-A Bowie Baysox, 10-7, on Monday.

But before the first Erie batter even stepped in the box, the team was in a 7-0 hole. Fortunately for the SeaWolves, Moya has done everything this year except sing the national anthem and sell hot dogs on the concourse.

On Sunday, Moya tied the single-season franchise record with his 34th homer, a blast which enabled him join Mike Rivera (2001) as the only Erie players to post 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons. Since 2004, only two other players have posted a 30/100 season in the Eastern League. Ryan Howard achieved the milestone in 2004 and Darin Ruf did it in 2012, both with Reading.

But Moya hasn't finished yet, even though he's been part of a triple play, represented his native Puerto Rico on the World team at the Futures Game and taken MVP honors at the Double-A All-Star Game, a exhibition contest he clubbed a grand slam in.

Performances like the two-homer, six-RBI night on May 24 in which he smacked a walk-off homer in a doubleheader have become part of the norm.

His 277 total bases are more than any other SeaWolves hitter in history and eight ahead of former leader Brennan Boesch.

Moya also has 69 extra-base hits, a franchise high he continues to extend, and his third-inning RBI double Monday night gave him 102 RBIs for the season, tying the single-season mark Eric Munson set in 2001. Moya also stands three behind Munson's 13-year-old doubles record.

The 23-year-old leads the Eastern League in homers, RBIs, total bases, extra-base hits and slugging percentage (.558), ranks second in runs scored (78) and doubles (32) and fourth in hits (137).

Moya's season essentially came out of nowhere. He hit just 34 homers in his three previous seasons combined, and he spent two seasons at Class A West Michigan, after batting .204 with 127 strikeouts and 12 walks in 2011.

Since then, though, his star has been on the rise. He batted .288 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 26 extra-base hits in 59 games with the Whitecaps in 2012, and he followed that up with a 12-homer, 55-RBI season in Lakeland with the Class A Advanced Flying Tigers.