

Once again, a Los Angeles Angels‘ first-round pick has rocketed to the big leagues. The Angels are calling up infielder Christian Moore, reports Baseball America. The team has not confirmed the move. Moore was the No. 8 overall pick in last summer’s draft.
Moore, 22, has played 79 games in the minors between this year and last year. He’s a .302/.382/.475 career hitter in pro ball, including .350/.424/.575 with four homers in 20 Triple-A games these last few weeks. Moore slugged 34 home runs in 72 games last spring for Tennessee, and helped the Volunteer win the College World Series.
Our R.J. Anderson ranked Moore the second-best prospect in the Angels’ system coming into the season. Here’s his write-up:
The short hook: Bat-first middle infielder nearing debut
Under Perry Minasian’s guidance, the Angels have garnered a reputation for placing their first-round picks on the express lane to the majors. Even now, Zach Neto (48) and Nolan Schanuel (22) have fewer than 75 combined minor-league games to their credit. We suspect that Moore, who made 25 appearances after being drafted eighth overall, won’t sniff 50 of his own before making his MLB debut. Moore has above-average pop and has shown an ability to work counts; the question is how often he’ll punch out due to his swing-and-miss tendencies. It would seem to bode well for him that he survived an SEC vetting and then held his own during an aggressive (if brief) assignment to Double-A. Moore isn’t considered a skilled defender, but the Angels will live with his deficiencies provided his bat plays as expected. MLB ETA: Spring 2025
The Angels bringing a recent draftee to the big leagues quickly is not unusual. In fact, Moore won’t even be the first player from the club’s 2024 draft class to reach the show. Right-hander Ryan Johnson had a strong spring training and made the Opening Day roster. He was selected with the compensation pick the Haloes received for losing Shohei Ohtani to free agency.
Angels’ picks Chase Silseth (2021), Neto (2022), and Schanuel (2023) were the first players from their draft classes to reach the big leagues. Silseth was an 11th round pick. Neto and Schanuel were first rounders like Moore, who is a second baseman. The Angels have had a revolving door at second base this year. Luis Rengifo leads the way with 21 starts at the position.
The Angels (33-34) have an off-day Thursday. Moore will likely make his MLB debut Friday when the team opens a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Moore’s home debut will come next Friday against the Houston Astros.
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