In recent years, the Los Angeles Angels have tried to field a competitive team but always seemed to head in the wrong direction. With the Mike Trout era heading to the back end, they’ve taken a new approach to building a competitive roster. That approach takes MLB Draft selections and brings them up to cut their teeth in the big leagues. There’s a few examples, and some have fared better than others. However, it might be a better strategy than selecting all pitchers in one of the drafts to overcompensate for not having a pitching pipeline. That being said, they’re doing it again with their No. 8 selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, Christian Moore. According to Jon Morosi on MLB Network, the top prospect is the talk of camp, and manager Ron Washington loves him.
“Christian Moore in some ways is the talk of camp for the Los Angeles Angels.”@jonmorosi says the No. 8 pick in the 2024 Draft could crack the Angels’ Opening Day roster. pic.twitter.com/2vCCz1n2ly
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 24, 2025
“Christian Moore, in some ways, is the talk of camp for the Los Angeles Angels. Really impressing manager Ron Washington. There is some conversation that he is going to get a look at third base in addition to second base.”
The Fit for Christian Moore with the Angels
If the rumor is true and Moore gets a look at third base, the path to the majors looks a lot clearer for the Tennessee alum. With Anthony Rendon having surgery and Yoan Moncada not being a reliable option, there’s a path to the 26-man roster.’
After smashing records with the Vols by hitting 31 homers in his junior season, he’s looking to bring what he’s learned straight the Angels. He was assigned to Single-A and spent just two games there before being promoted to Double-A Rocket City. Moore finished the year with 25 professional games under his belt. He hit .347/.400/.584 with six homers and six doubles with 20 RBI.
The power of Moore is very real. While with Tennessee, he slugged a program-record 61 homers with 35 doubles and a 1.144 OPS. According to MLB Pipeline, he’s the No. 68 prospect in baseball. The 22-year-old is an aggressive hitter who will take his walks and strikeouts and hit for power. Moore can play second base, but he needs some work on his glove if he wants to stick there. That’s where playing third in the absence of Rendon would be huge to make the Angels out of camp.
Angels MLB Draft Strategy in the Works
Most teams would put Moore back into the minors with very little chance to open the season with the team out of spring. However, the Angels have decided to try to accelerate their window to give some hope to the Trout-era ending with competitive, playoff-caliber teams.
There has been success, but it’s not without growing pains. Through this method of drafting college talent and rocketing them through the farm system, they’ve built a decent, younger core.
The trio of Ben Joyce, Zach Neto, and Nolan Schanuel all followed this path. Schanuel even debuted just a month after being drafted in 2023. Moore would be the latest in a small line of success that other teams just aren’t following.
Time will tell if it’s fruitful and innovative or if the Angels will find a new way to remain mediocre. Either way, the hope is that Moore can be a piece this year to help get Trout some meaningful late-season and possibly postseason at-bats.
The post Christian Moore Could Rocket to the Angels Opening Day Roster appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.