Christian
Moore

Moore finally woke me up to what he is, and even more importantly draft-wise, to what he can become. In many past first-hand observations, including the USA CNT last summer, I always saw the tools and athleticism, but continually walked away questioning if he was a top-round talent. After leaving Tuscaloosa the answer is unequivocally, “YES”. The righthanded hitter began the series on Friday with a quiet 0-for-5 but quickly rebounded with a 4-for-5 Saturday that was highlighted by a majestic 426’ home run OVER the scoreboard that exited the barrel at 108 mph. Moore is strong with sneaky, but significant power to all fields. He has later pitch recognition than Amick or Dreiling and prefers to let the ball travel deeper than those two teammates. Moore also had a significant left/right pitcher split last year and that discrepancy has continued into this season. Defensively, he began this season at shortstop, but soon after moved to second base in deference to Dean Curley and his 80-grade bazooka arm. Moore closes ground quickly coming in on balls really well, but looked to have trouble laterally ranging to his right, getting his feet tied up on a fielding miscue Friday night. He also has above-average arm strength but did not show the best accuracy on longer throws, leading one to believe he may be best suited to remaining at second base in professional baseball. He’s also a plus runner underway, but is not an instinctive base stealer, nor did he show top aptitude when getting caught too far off second base on a grounder to the 6-hole that resulted in a throw behind him for a tag and 6-4 fielder’s choice. With all that said, Moore possesses the tools, talent and performance to jump into the top 50 overall picks.

USA CNT: Moore was another player who was squeezed for playing time due to the competition in the infield during the 10 games against international competition, going just 1-for-7, but the raw materials are clearly in place for him to be a high draft pick next summer. He has a strong, athletic frame at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds and big-time power in his righthanded swing. He does swing and miss a decent bit, but those strikeouts also come with a boatload of walks, as he had 50 walks compared to 67 strikeouts at Tennessee in 2023. In short, he often looks like a big leaguer, especially when he’s standing at the plate, but there are questions defensively. He’s played mostly second base with the Volunteers, but may get a shot at shortstop next season, and there’s also confidence that he has the tools to play the outfield, and perhaps even center field. But right now, there’s no position that stands out as an obvious natural fit and his offensive game is far ahead of his defense.

Cape Cod: After hitting .305/.443/.619 with 10 homers in a strong freshman spring, Moore struggled at Hyannis, hitting .176 in 74 at-bats. He controlled the zone well in the spring but not in the summer, fanning 29 times against 10 walks. With a thick, strong frame at 6-1, 205 pounds, Moore is an explosive athlete with an easy gait, showing 65/70 speed underday, giving him a gear most do not. He has good balance in his righthanded swing and shows 45 to 50 raw power.

Future Prospects (February 28, 2015)
Moore stands an athletic 5-foot-4, 135-pounds.  The switch hitting SS showed he can hang with players 2 and 3 years his elder.Offensively-  From both sides of the plate he is very similar.   Shoulder tap and back load for timing.  Shows lift at contact from both sides.  Good extension, finishes high.  Better balance from the left side.  Front foot tends to dive towards the plate, cutting his hips off from the right side.  Exit velocity of 74 MPH.  Defensively- In the field he moves very well, quick feet around the ball. Ran a 7.35 60yd dash.  Shows signs to be a next level defender.  Flashy, good glove, soft hands.  Follows his throws, low 3/4 arm angle.