When Ian Moller looks back on what really has been an especially storied Perfect Game career, he can point to a wide range of accomplishments achieved on the various fields of play that dot the baseball landscape from coast to coast.
Now 17½ years old and set to begin his senior year at Dubuque (Iowa) Wahlert Catholic High School, Moller has performed on all of the biggest stages PG has to offer while collecting awards and steadfastly climbing the class of 2021 national prospect rankings. His current No. 2 ranking is, in fact, the highest any prep prospect from the state of Iowa has ever risen in the long history of PG’s prospect rankings.
But those things aren’t what’s most important to Moller, an obviously elite 6-foot-1, 201-pound catcher. What really seems to bring him the most joy is when he takes the time to consider all the terrific friendships and relationships he’s built over the past four years.
“Most of the guys at those events, I’ll talk to them on a daily or weekly basis,” Moller told PG during a telephone conversation early this week. “We talk about just regular kid stuff but I can pick their brain about baseball stuff too. They’re friends that I’ll have forever and hopefully a lot of the guys can make it to the big leagues as well as myself, and we can just continue to have that friendship.”
It’ll be at least several more years before any prospect from this 2021 class finds himself on a big league roster, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with having dreams and setting your sights high. And Moller, an LSU commit, can look forward to hanging out with quite a few of his closest friends at least one more time about two weeks from now.
That’s when he and 53 of the other top national 2021 prospects will gather in Oklahoma City for the 16th annual Perfect Game All-American Classic, to be played Friday, Sept. 4 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
“I’ve been watching that game ever since I was eight or nine years old, watching big-leaguers right now who were in that game. It’s really an honor and (it shows) that my hard work is paying off,” Moller said. “A lot of the big-name guys in MLB played in that game so hopefully I can be the next one.”
At this point in time, anyway, it seems likely that will happen someday but there is so much more to do, so many other hills to climb before it becomes reality. And make no mistake, Moller has already climbed many hills throughout his teen years.
“We look back on this and go, ‘What a ride’,” his dad, Steven Moller, told PG during a separate telephone conversation this week. “It hasn’t been the smoothest ride but honestly I wouldn’t want to be in any other place than where I’m at right now.”
As a kid growing up, and as an athlete in general, Moller played basketball and football because, well, that’s what kids do when they’re growing up. But he also felt the need to chart his own course, and his dad – who comes from a baseball-playing family – was more than happy to provide the direction.
“I was way more natural at baseball than anything else … and as I got older I just wanted to focus on baseball,” Moller said. “Then you start getting better and you start having more fun and then you just keep working.
“My dad always pushed me, but he never pushed me unless I wanted to be pushed. I just fell in love with baseball more and more as I grew up and started seeing the opportunities that it can open up for you.”
Moller has always been a primary catcher and is now considered the top defensive catcher in the national class of 2021. He started out at the position as a youngster mostly because none of the other kids his age wanted to tackle the job. He tackled it the only way he knew how, never once hitting the brakes.
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IAN MOLLER BEGAN HIS TRAVEL BALL CAREER IN 2016 PLAYING WITH the Phenom Signature program and he was with the Top Tier Americans in 2017 and for one event in 2018; he’s also played in tournaments with Team Elite and MVP in past summers.
But it was in October 2018 at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Fla., when the doors of opportunity really opened wide, and eyes were opened wide, as well. That was his first event playing with the MLB Breakthrough Series, a program created by Major League Baseball in 2016.
MLB Breakthrough Series rosters are built around a core of especially talented Black players from across the country. The teams are coached by former Black MLB players and coaches – 2000 AL Manager of the Year Jerry Manual is on the staff – and the players benefit greatly from being a part of the program.
After playing with the Breakthrough Series at the 2018 WWBA Underclass World, Moller rejoined the team at the 2019 PG WWBA Underclass World and the 2019 PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla. The experience turned-out to be a life-changer for the Iowa teenager.
“It was awesome, being around more people (who are) like you,” Moller said. “It’s the little stuff, like listening to the same music and having the same energy on the field. It makes me play better just because I feel more comfortable.
“Before the games eyes are always on us, we’re always playing music and we’re having the most fun out there,” he added. “Honestly, playing for them is the best experience of my life, for sure.”
The then-14 year old Moller was already being recognized as a rising star in the class of 2021 when he was invited to take part in the 2017 PG 14U Select Baseball Festival at jetBlue Park in Fort Myers. Moller was one of 40 age-eligible prospects invited to the nationally televised all-star game, which was being played for the second time in 2017.
Steven Moller recalled that the experience at the Select Fest Ian was able to enjoy provided his son his first taste of what it’s like to play at a big-time college program like LSU or to play professionally – everything was first class.
“It was all the things that I kind of thought it would be and the way that I just saw how he interacted with the (other) kids,” Steven said. “That actually started some of the friendships that he has had for years now.”
He specifically mentioned guys like Irving Carter, Christian Moore and Christian Little as being among Ian’s best friends today and they hadn’t met before being involved with the Select Fest.
More friendships were made when Moller traveled to San Diego in August 2019 to participate in the invitation-only PG Underclass All-American Games and renewed once again at this summer’s PG National Showcase held in Hoover, Ala., in June.
In all, Moller has performed at four PG showcases in the last four years and earned a perfect 10.0 PG grade and Top Prospect List recognition at all four.
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THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2020 HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING FOR EVERYONE in this country, with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging and social unrest rightfully dominating the headlines.
When the new coronavirus pandemic forced everyone to stay at home throughout the spring, Moller was still able to get some work in close to home. He didn’t get to play in many games but he still got practice every day with his dad.
“We tried to simulate a lot of game-like (situations) but it’s pretty hard to simulate everything about a game,” he said. “It was a little challenging at first but everything turned out just fine; it wasn’t really that big of a challenge.”
Steven Moller, who did not play baseball beyond high school, has been his son’s coach since Ian was six years old. Steven and Shannon Moller co-own a can redemption center in Dubuque and they also have a small baseball training facility that Ian has been able to take advantage of.
Steven will tell you that he has been very hands-on when it comes to coaching his son but he also welcomes information from outside sources. He sends video to instructors and various other baseball people showing them what he and Ian are working on and seeking their input and feedback.
The facility is called Built Not Born Baseball Training. Steven explained the name comes from the mistaken belief many people have that Ian just rolls out of bed in the morning and the game comes to him naturally. That’s not the case, Steven said, because he’s watched from a front-row seat all the hard work his son put in to make himself one of the top age-group prospects in the country.
As a Black teenager living in predominately White Dubuque, Moller was not unaffected by the fallout following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed while in the custody of Minneapolis police in early June. It was a very emotional time for the entire Moller family – his dad, Steven, is Black while his mom, Shannon, is White – and they talked about the incident and its aftermath extensively.
“Obviously, what happened is terrible,” Moller said. “I’ve kind of been aware of this for a while but more than anything I think it opened a lot of other people’s eyes. I had a lot of people texting me and telling me that they cared about me and things like that. … It’s terrible what happened but it’s touching to see a lot of people come together.”
Steven confirmed that the tragic event did have a profound effect on Ian. He said that anyone who knows Ian will also know that he is a “deep thinker” so the parents sat down and explained to him what their own opinions on the matter are while allowing him to reach his own conclusions.
It’s an unfair and harsh reality, but they felt the need to speak to Ian about how he has to act a certain way when he goes out in public. They’ve given him specific instructions on what he should do if he’s ever stopped by the police for any reason at all.
“Our goal for him is to get home safely and once he gets home we can take care of any situation,” Steven said.
It is every parent’s hope that their child can learn to handle adversity and then turn that lesson into something positive. Once again, Moller’s experiences with the MLB Breakthrough Series, in general, and with that impressive coaching staff, in particular, has paid dividends.
“They teach you a lot of stuff on the field but they teach us more about how to handle ourselves and more about the world and other issues other than baseball,” Moller said. “They’re not just teaching us about baseball, they’re really mentors for us. … Having people like that around who know the game and they know the game of life, as well, is better than anything.”
Steven saw the benefits out on the field, as well:
“When Ian is comfortable he’s going to always play his best,” he said. “And for some reason, being around people that look like him, that have the same interests as him, listen to the same music as him, it makes him comfortable. Honestly, a lot of them just sit and share stories.”
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STEVEN MOLLER IS A GRADUATE OF LOUISIANA STATE AND IAN TOLD PG THAT LSU has always been his “dream school.” He visited the campus as an eighth-grader and attended a game at Alex Box Stadium when the Tigers were hosting Ole Miss.
“Just seeing all the fans – it looked like a pro game,” Ian Moller said. “The stands were full and they really care about their sports teams and (the fans) were going crazy. That was huge for me just knowing that coaches will have my back and the whole fan base will have my back.”
There isn’t a lot of clarity surrounding the 2021 MLB June Amateur but one thing that seems crystal clear is that Moller can expect to hear his name called very early. Playing in the big leagues has long been Moller’s goal but he’s careful to not get caught-up in the draft-centric conversations, preferring to let his parents and advisers work through those details.
“I try to take it one day at time, one game at a time, and try not to focus too much on it because you never know what can happen between now and then,” he said. “I just try to focus on playing good now, to be honest.”
The draft is another topic that the family has discussed at length and there is a lot of excitement surrounding it. They’ve also talked about the commitment to LSU and what a big deal that really is considering it has always been Ian’s dream to be a part of that elite SEC program.
But with his son’s draft stock rising, Steven told PG that Ian has now pushed the figurative finish line a little further back. He would love to play at LSU, Steven said, and if that works out he’ll head to Baton Rouge and give his usual 100 percent effort. But Moller’s ultimate goal is to play in the major leagues, and not only just play but develop into one of the majors’ best players regardless of when that happens.
“Honestly, I pinch myself every day,” Steven said. “I know it sounds crazy but there’s days when we wake up, my wife and I kind of look at each other and we go, this is really happening. … I pinch myself because of what’s going on but with Ian I watch him put the work in on a daily basis so, yeah, he deserves to be where he’s at. But sometimes as a father I look back and go, wow, this is crazy.”
Added Ian: “I’m really (pleased) with where I’m at and the progress I’ve made. I’m still not satisfied with (everything) but I am happy with the way I’ve developed and come along. I really couldn’t ask it to be any other way and I’m very thankful for that, and I’m still just trying to work to get better.”
The ride that Ian Moller has taken his family on over the last four years has been “awesome” according to his dad, and it's one that is realistically just getting started. People mistakenly think that is all about Steven and Ian but the family in fact lives by the credo “it takes a village.”
“My wife is like the backbone of our family,” Steven said. “She kind of keeps everything in line; when we travel she makes sure all the plans are taken care of and she usually just sends me an email. My daughter (Alexis) who is a junior at Northern Iowa is probably one of Ian’s supporters and one of his biggest critics.”
Moller’s next stop will be in Oklahoma City for the PG All-American Classic, an event his dad said the entire family is very much looking forward to. Playing in the game has been another dream of Ian’s since the first time father and son sat down and watched the game on TV.
This year’s Classic was moved from its regular home in San Diego when the Padres’ Petco Park became unavailable due to coronavirus restrictions and the revamped MLB schedule. The Mollers couldn’t care less about the change of venue.
“I’m just glad that it’s still happening regardless of where it’s at,” Steven said. “To Ian, you could have played the game at a high school field here in Dubuque and he would have still been excited about being a part of it.”