CHERRY CREEK’S MOSS OVERCOMES ARM ISSUES
Cherry Creek’s Moss succeeds after arm issues force him off the mound
E
GREENWOOD VILLAGE» arly in his career at Cherry Creek, the hype around Jack Moss was high. The 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher and lefty hitter drew plenty of scouts’ eyes at showcases, and he committed to the University of Virginia as a sophomore, before he even played a varsity game for the Bruins.
But the fast start to his time on
Union Avenue was met with adversity over the last couple of seasons, when Moss dealt with numerous arm issues that forced him to give up pitching altogether.
The average eye wouldn’t know the adversity Moss was going through, though, as he hit .490 as a junior with 31 RBIs, 13 doubles and a 1.272 OPS.
“The latter half of my high school career, it was brutal. It was tough. I remember throwing at showcases and scouts going, ‘What’s wrong with this kid? Why can’t he throw?'” Moss recalled. “I remember all the questionnaires I had to fill out and there was always a question about my arm. That was tough on me and I had to come back from that, but it really prepared me, because this is a game where you’re bound to fail.”
Moss played first base as a junior, but continued to favor his arm in the field. He was suffering from bicep tendonitis and rotator cuff tendonitis. The year before, as a talented sophomore eager to make an impression his first year on varsity, Moss suffered a UCL strain and an inflamed ulnar nerve from throwing too much.
“I didn’t say anything (to the coaches) when I probably should have that spring playing for Creek, when I wanted to be the young kid helping out,” Moss said. “Pitching a ton, playing first, playing third, throwing bullpens in practice. I never shut it down and I never knew when to stop.”
Moss gained valuable perspective from those injuries, but he also developed poor throwing mechanics in an effort to alleviate his pain when he played in the field. He re-tooled his throwing motion last summer, and he also decided to re-consider his college plans, decommitting from Virginia and opting for Arizona State instead.
After committing to ASU, he dominated the prestigious Area Code Games in California, earning All-Tournament recognition.
“I think I maybe committed early for the wrong reasons — like wanting to be the cool, young kid who was going to a big-time, Power-5 Division I program that just won a national championship,” Moss said. “I committed because of that, instead of thinking about what actually matters to me and what was the best fit.”
So to Tempe he will go, fresh off the heels of being named the state’s Gatorade player of the year on reputation alone after the 2020 season was wiped out by COVID-19. While Moss would’ve played outfield this spring, his best bet to immediately compete for time at ASU figures to come at first base, where the Sun Devils lost top prospect Spencer Torkelson to the draft at No. 1 overall.
Longtime Cherry Creek coach Marc Johnson spared no superlatives when describing Moss, comparing him to a young Cody Bellinger.
“In my opinion he’s one of the best (high school) hitters in the country, and I scouted professionally for 38 years,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of future power there. Cody Bellinger had one home run in high school. As a junior, Jack had one. At this point, he’s a gap-to-gap hitter, with a lot of scorching line drives and he hits 90-plus better than anyone I’ve seen in this state for a long time.
“If you project on this kid into college and pro ball, that projection is pretty good.”
Now fully healthy and ready to take on Division I baseball, Moss is in a good place, teammate Tyler Robinson said. The Dartmouth commit and fellow Bruins outfielder believes his friend’s mindset will take him as far as he wants to go.
“He’s found a balance between staying in the moment, and enjoying what he’s accomplished,” Robinson said. “But he also remains dedicated on improving his craft and realizing how hard he has to work to keep progressing in his career. I think we’re all excited to see the next chapter of his growth as a player.”