HS BASE: Ex-Chatsworth star Moustakas heating up

After a dreadful start that included a .197 batting average through the first month of his first minor-league baseball season, bonus baby Michael Moustakas has caught fire in a big way.

The 19-year-old third baseman from Chatsworth High leads the Single-A Midwest League with 20 home runs -- including five over a three-game span this past week -- and his raised his average to .260 with 60 RBIs in 109 games for Burlington, Iowa.

Moustakas is thrilled.

"I'm having a great time just doing what I love to do every day. You can't beat it," said Moustakas, who signed for $4.1 million. "Yes, I miss home a lot, but I'm happy to be out here pursuing my dream."

Moustakas, who finished his prep career as California's all-time career home run leader, was humbled by his slow but never lost confidence.

"I was just trying to get used to everything, and playing in cold weather every day in April didn't help," Moustakas said. "It rained all the time, and it was cold."

Moustakas was grateful that it never got to the point where fans were booing him.

"These Burlington fans are good fans. They weren't booing but you could tell they're were getting a little anxious," Moustakas said.

Minor-league baseball is a grind with 16-hours days, sometimes seven days a week. Yet Moustakas said he somehow found time to follow Chatsworth's successful drive to a second consecutive City Section championship this past spring.

"Coach (Tom) Meusborn never rebuilds, just reloads," Moustakas said. "From the very beginning, I had no doubt Chatsworth would win another championship. Meusborn could take pretty much any group of players and make them a winning team."

As for the other half of Chatsworth's former M & M boys, Matt Dominguez -- drafted later in the first round by the Florida Marlins -- Moustakas has remained close friends.

"I speak to Matt all the time -- at least once a week," Moustakas said. "I might have more home runs, but Matty has a higher average (.292, nine home runs for Single-A Greenboro, N.C.). He could always hit. I'm proud of him."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com