MLB draft: Angels select Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore in first round
Moore, 21, hit .375 with 34 homers at Tennessee, which won the national championship. The Angels plan to start him at second base, although it’s possible he could move to another position.
ANAHEIM — As Angels scouting director Tim McIlvaine was describing the things he likes about first-round draft pick Christian Moore on Sunday, he dropped the name Ron Washington.
“I think once he gets in this environment too, with the way Wash and his guys run everything, I think he’s going to excel here,” McIlvaine said.
Given that the Angels’ previous two first-round picks – Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel – were both the first in their class to reach the majors, that obviously raised the question of how soon the second baseman might be in the big leagues.
McIlvaine chuckled, and made no predictions.
“We’re gonna let him go at his own pace,” McIlvaine said shortly after the pick was announced. “We let the players kind of dictate when they’re ready. We’re going to do as much as we can to get him ready for when he does come up to the big leagues. But for now, he’s gonna take his time.”
Moore didn’t promise anything, but he said he’s looking forward to forming a double play combo with Neto – who he played against in college – as soon as possible.
“I want to be able to compete as the highest level as fast as I can,” Moore said. “If I get the opportunity, I’m going to try to roll with it.”
A right-handed hitter, Moore is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds.
Moore, 21, hit .375 with 34 homers and a 1.248 OPS in his junior season at Tennessee, helping the Volunteers to the national championship. In his career, Moore hit .338 with 61 homers.
He hit for the cycle in the second game of the College World Series last month.
“He’s got a flair for the dramatic,” McIlvaine said. “It seemed like every time they needed a big hit (in the NCAA postseason), C-Mo was right there to do it, to drive runs in. He’s a good player.”
Baseball America ranked him as the No. 12 prospect in the nation heading into the draft, and MLB Pipeline ranked him 13th.
There are some concerns about his defense. He began his college career at shortstop but moved to second because his arm wasn’t strong enough for short. Some analysts suspect he might end up in the outfield. McIlvaine said they will start him at second base, though.
McIlvaine said he’d been watching Moore for years because both McIlvaine and Moore went to high school in the New York area, and McIlvaine now lives in Nashville.
“I have a pretty long track record watching Christian and watching him just get better every year,” McIlvaine said. “It’s been fun to watch. He’s got a lot of power. Plays with a lot of energy, a lot of confidence. I think he’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch here.”
The slot value for the No. 8 pick is $6.5 million.
At No. 8, Moore is the Angels’ highest overall pick since they took Troy Glaus with the third pick in 1997.
The Angels picked Chris Cortez, a right-hander from Texas A&M, with their second-round pick at No. 45.
Cortez pitched for the team that lost to Moore’s Tennessee team in the College World Series final.
Cortez had a 2.78 ERA this season, working as a reliever. He has a fastball that reaches 100 mph.
The Angels selected Ryan Johnson, a right-handed pitcher from Dallas Baptist, with their compensation pick at No. 74 overall. That was the pick the Angels received as compensation for losing two-time American League MVP Shohei Ohtani as a free agent.
Johnson was the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year.
The draft will continue with Rounds 3-10 on Monday and Rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.