Unlike many teams, the Los Angeles Angels have a potential power hitter at second base. Christian Moore has already displayed some of that power at the big-league level, but Moore also has a serious strikeout problem that could keep him from seizing the job.
The second baseman is just 23, but he had what Baseball America described as a “disjointed” season last year. He spent time at Double A and Triple A before getting a late season call-up from the Angels, where he displayed both his power along and the ability to strike out at an alarming rate. Moore also did some rehab time after suffering a meniscus injury at Double A Rocket City.
First the power. Moore hit seven home runs in 53 games, which leads into a nice projection given his youth. He also struck out 62 times in 162 at bats, and his slash line of .198/.284/.370 was just as ugly. The strikeout numbers fit in nicely with last year’s Angels lineup, but this will be something the Halos will be desperately trying to change this spring.
It won’t be easy to make this change with Moore. He set the Tennessee record for both career and single-season home runs with 61 and 34, respectively, but strikeouts have always been an issue for him due to his aggressive approach. He does shorten up and become more selective with two strikes, according to Baseball America, but his chase issues led the publication to rate his hit tool as near average.
Moore does have some speed, but his big swing limits him out of the batter’s box. He played all over the field in college, but his arm and footwork are considered serviceable, but overall he’s projected as a second baseman due to those limitations.
The infielder did get some reps at third in his instructional league stint on his way through the Angels system, and he did show more consistency there, according to BA, due to the fact that he was more engaged at that position. He grades out high in the character department, as he’s willing to work and shows some leadership skills, which means he’ll likely be spending plenty of time with new Angels hitting coach Brady Anderson in Arizona.
The job is there for Moore to grab, and given his basic power and production to date he projects as a middle-of-the-order bat if he can pull it together. His primary competition will come from newly-acquired second baseman Vaughn Grissom, who came up through the Atlanta Braves system and saw his career stall at Triple A after he was sent to the Boston Red Sox as part of the deal for pitcher Chris Sale.