Christian Moore arrives — early? — and gives Angels vision of a future infield core

New York Times

7 hours ago

Almost a full calendar year has passed since Los Angeles Angels second baseman Christian Moore, then a junior at Tennessee, sprinted towards his teammates in the infield as they celebrated their 6-5 victory over Texas A&M to win the 2024 College World Series.
The win marked the first championship in program history, and Moore played a key role in the decisive finale, with a leadoff home run jump-starting the Vols' offense. It would be fair to say that was one of the biggest days of the 22-year-old's life.
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But if he had to choose between winning the CWS or getting his first major league hit in his hometown with his family and friends watching, it wouldn't be a very hard decision.
'They're not comparable,' Moore said. 'Omaha was definitely a life-changing moment. But playing in the big leagues and accomplishing that, it almost makes me a little emotional just thinking about it because it's something you work really hard for.'
Moore, the eighth overall pick by the Angels in last year's MLB Draft, became the latest Angels prospect to get what the rest of the league would call an early call-up. He followed in the footsteps of shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel, and the three look to be a talented young trio in the Angels' infield.
And with that hit, a triple over the outstretched arm of right fielder Aaron Judge in the eighth inning, Moore let the baseball world know that he had arrived.
Before that hit, the Brooklyn native was 0-for-8 since his call-up from the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees on June 13th. Once he made contact and the ball was in the air, he didn't know how far it would travel or if Judge had a read on it. But once he saw the Yankees star dive and miss, Moore knew he had a chance for extra bases.
'Here we go. Keep going. Don't slow down,' Moore told himself in the moment. 'One of the best moments of my life.'
He even brought out his signature tongue-wagging celebration, one reserved for triples, honed in college to commemorate the rare moment.
But even for a highly-touted prospect like Moore, his journey up to the majors wasn't always smooth sailing.
Moore had a slow start to the season with the Angels' Double-A affiliate, the Rocket City Trash Pandas. At one point, Moore was hitting .118 and couldn't seem to find his rhythm.
A month-and-a-half in, he managed to get his average up to .234, and that was enough for him to earn a call-up to Triple A.
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'He's the kind of kid that needs challenges,' Angels manager Ron Washington said. 'He went from .118 to .234, that was a challenge. So then we say, okay, he's moving, let's give him another challenge.'
Moore took that challenge personally and showed why he deserved to be the Angels' highest draft pick in over 25 years, dating to when they took Troy Glaus third overall in 1997.
In 20 games, Moore had four home runs, batted .350 with an OPS of .999. Moore credited the success to making tweaks in his foot placement in the box, better understanding the strike zone, and doing what he needed to dominate the middle of the zone.
Washington and his staff had seen all they needed. In just under 11 months, Moore had made it to the big leagues. Many prospects take anywhere from 2 to 4 years from being drafted to make it to the majors. But when the Angels like their guy, they have shown they are willing to call them up as soon as they can.
Schanuel was called up less than six weeks after he was drafted 11th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. Neto took a bit longer, being called up in April of 2023 after he was drafted 13th overall the year prior. Both prospects were also taken straight out of Double A.
'Need, and contribute,' Washington said of the criteria young prospects need to check off before receiving a quick call-up. 'He's on the rollercoaster, and we put him there. If he comes here and he fails, we're gonna send him back. No big deal.'
Luckily for Moore, he's got two guys in Schanuel and Neto who've been on that same rollercoaster and made it off to tell the tale.
Under the Tempe, Ariz., sun, the group bonded during Angels' spring training this year. Whether it was the three being locker mates throughout the preseason or going to the area's Old Town for dinner, they began to develop a chemistry that should prove useful now that they are all in the majors.
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Schanuel and Neto took Moore under their wings and were constantly there to give him advice. It wasn't just about adjusting to the competition or finding his way around the clubhouse, but teaching Moore about what to do versus what not to do, being fresh out of college, for example.
Once Moore got called up, Schanuel gave him a list of things that he had stressed about once he made it to the majors.
'Try not to complicate each pitch,' was one of the things that Schanuel told Moore. 'For a hitter, it's a game of failure. You're gonna fail seven out of ten times and you're a great player.'
The approach hasn't quite shown dividends yet. Through 13 at-bats, Moore has only one hit. But even after a swing-and-miss, he doesn't look rattled when he walks back to the dugout.
'He's come in here with a lot of confidence, and you can tell he's not shy of the moment,' Neto said. 'It's the way he plays, who he is as a player. And that grit he has, you can't teach that.'
Less than a full week in for Moore, it's clear that the talented young player will need time to develop. But maybe more importantly, the Angels are giving him room to make mistakes and learn on the fly.
Washington realizes that Moore hasn't even fully grown into his body yet, let alone having a full grasp of the game at this level. And that's okay.
Furthermore, the quick call-up represents the Angels' faith in their young infield trio. Schanuel and Neto will be able to help Moore with the growing pains of the quick transition. And with the way the lineup is set up with Moore hitting ninth and Neto and Schanuel following atop the order, Moore will get the chance to repay the favor when the lineup flips over.
'We're that young crew,' Moore said. 'We want to win games. And we all have goals and aspirations, so it's good for us.'