As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
The Angels march to the beat of their own drum, and maybe other teams have started to follow suit. They have been aggressive in promoting college draftees to the major leagues right after drafting them, and now other organizations have followed suit. Christian Moore, their most recent first-round pick, has been slow-played by their standards, only getting promoted to the majors in mid-June. Moore is an interesting top-of-the-organization prospect; he can hit, but there are some growing concerns about how he will hit spin. However, he is a second baseman, and the demands of that position are lower than in recent memory because of the relative dearth at the position. The Angels have plenty of pitching, mostly hard-throwing reliever types, or Caden Dana, who, while he is working on it, still has distinct slots for each of his pitches. The Angels have recently made strides in their international free agency player acquisition, with the DSL and ACL teams being littered with talent. While this is a barren system to an extent, there will be plenty of big-league contributors scattered across the system as the Angels will be stuck churning through 40 and 45 types over the coming years.
About Our Top 20 Lists
Prospects Live, led by its evaluating team & Director of Scouting Rhys White, is proud to begin rolling out its annual offseason system reports. The team combines industry feedback, our live looks, film, and available data to compile each org. We believe this effort has enabled us to present you, the reader, with our best possible view of the prospects in the organization.
We have constructed this list using the Overall Future Potential (OFP) scale. There is no perfect equation for ranking prospects or assigning value to them, but we believe this method is the best possible approach. Every prospect on this list has been graded based on the tried and true 20-80 scouting scale. An 80 is the highest tool and OFP grade on the scale, reserved for MVP-caliber players or tools. Conversely, a 20 is reserved for non-prospects (NPs). A 50 OFP falls in the middle, indicating our evaluators deem this player a future average major league player. Below the 50 OFP tier are the 45s and 40s, comprising a large majority of players on each list. These are specific-role players, such as platoon hitters, utility players, or low-leverage relievers. Above the 50 OFP tier are the 55s and 60s. A 55 represents a future above-average player, and a 60 OFP designation is reserved for future All-Star caliber players.
In addition to the tool grades and OFP, we will also include a 'Risk' associated with each prospect. We use this to better communicate to you, the reader, whether a grade is more aggressive or conservative in nature. The evaluation team has worked hard to apply both the grades and risk components to better illustrate how each individual prospect stacks up in their respective system and in the baseball ecosystem.
Moore is a uniquely intriguing profile and likely has the highest ceiling of anyone in this system. The body was built for impact with big time strength, and it fits his style of play perfectly. He has legit plus raw power and has shown some exciting exit velocities everywhere he has played. Second base prospects rarely have the level of thump that this guy has, and the only question is if he will get to it enough in game. The hit tool is a massive work in progress still due to both an overaggressive approach and swing-and-miss issues. His short debut in pro ball last year brought some impressive highlights, but he was also running a 37% Whiff Rate and a 38.8% Chase Rate. He needs to improve in both of those categories if he wants the bat to reach its potential, and the Angels need to give him that time in the minors to do so. With the glove, he’s fine at second but doesn’t move all that well side to side and it leaves him with limited range. The arm is fringy as well, making him more of a fringy defender overall, but he should be good enough to stick at the position. He does have some solid speed and is smart on the base paths, so value is there on the bases. It’s easy to see the upside of a potential impact second baseman that draws amazing character reviews at every stop, but the hit tool concerns are certainly there and need to be addressed. Here's hoping the Angels allow him time to develop and don’t force him to the Majors early in 2025. - Grant Carver
Dynasty Outlook
The spark plug for the 2024 NCAA Champion Vols, Christian Moore has shown ability to act as a catalyst for a rowdy, homer-merchant offense and has all the power befitting this role; in 2024, Moore had stellar velocity showings (average exit 96.3, 90th percentile 110.6, max exit 117 on a bomb in Omaha) and flashed all of it in a dynamic pro debut, among the best of the class. The 21-year-old showed top-of-class ability to hit for contact, power, and extra bases, and has room for growth with greater plate discipline. Defensively, Moore can handle the middle-infield dirt, but it’s heroics in the vein of his CWS cycle which will (justifiably) drive his draft price to the mid-first round in FYPDs. The Angels’ propensity for rapid promotion may stunt what he could have been in a more progressive development org, but CMo will be a big part of the next Angels core and a fantasy darling players will love – though, likely not as much as I will. – Drew Wheeler
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
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As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
