It’s been a busy few weeks for 2024 MLB Draft picks. Nick Kurtz was called up earlier this year, while Jac Caglianone received his promotion last week. Now, it’s Christian Moore’s turn. The former first-round pick was promoted to the Angels after a torrid, yet brief run in Triple-A.

A Look at Moore

The Angels took Christian Moore, a well-known talent for years, eighth overall last July after a standout college career.

Moore hit 10 home runs as a freshman in 2022, then posted a 1.047 OPS with Tennessee. His junior season was the stuff of legends, as Moore slugged .797 and blasted 34 home runs across 72 games, easily leading the Volunteers’ national championship team.

While those numbers are an indication that Moore — a strong hitter with good bat speed — has legitimate power, those numbers do need to be taken with a grain of salt. Moore played his college ball in Knoxville — almost 900 feet above sea level — in a notoriously hitter-friendly ballpark.

During that 2024 season, five Volunteers had 20+ home run seasons. However, 14 of those 34 home runs came outside Knoxville.

When Moore got to pro ball, it looked like he would join Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel — both former first-rounders themselves — as quick risers to the Majors. The 22-year-old slashed .347/.400/.584 (.984 OPS) across 25 games, 23 of which came in Double-A.

However, Moore slumped in Double-A in April. He only hit .219 (.712 OPS) as he was in the midst of a cold spell. But he got it going in May, before moving up to Triple-A. With Salt Lake, he hit .350/.424/.575 (.999 OPS) across 20 games.

Moore’s best tool is the power. He can stay back and punish mistakes in the zone when one comes. That was a theme through his short run with the Bees, as 11 of his 28 hits were off non-fastballs. Most of the fastball hits came off cutters and sinkers.

If it all comes together, it’s possible Moore becomes a rarity: the second baseman who can hit 25-30 home runs per season.

One thing to watch will be how Moore adjusts to the MLB level. Moore saw sliders 20.3% of the time, and while he didn’t whiff too much — or generally, chase that much — out of the zone, he was vulnerable in the zone at times. He had a 51.5% Whiff% against sliders in Triple-A. Small sample size but something to watch.

Getting back to the chase numbers, he hacked at pitches out of the zone 26.7% in Triple-A. Again, something to watch as he faces significantly better pitching.

Defensively, Moore spent his entire pro career at second base. He showed plenty of athleticism during his time at college and could stick at the position long-term. On the other hand, the Angels could move at some point to use that athleticism in the outfield.

Analysis

It was going to happen at some point.

The Angels are notoriously quick to move up college bats, and Los Angeles has been fortunate that the ones they’ve drafted have been relatively polished. Moore put his package of tools together to become a high-end prospect.

Los Angeles received inconsistent production from Kyren Paris, now back in Triple-A. Paris, who spent time in center field, as well, sold out significantly for power and paid for it. While he got off to a hot start, he wound up with 59 strikeouts over 43 games in Anaheim.

The Angels have given time at second base to Luis Rengifo, who’s been with the team for some time, and ex-Phillie Scott Kingery. Kingery has just two hits over his first 16 at-bats this season.

Given Moore’s skillset and potential, he’ll get regular time at second base and possibly give Angels fans a preview of their middle infield for years to come this season.

And for our fantasy players, we highlighted Moore as a prospect to watch on the 11th.

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