Christian Moore Smashes Historic Grand Slam, Propels Tennessee to College World Series Finals

Rookie second-baseman Christian Moore is wasting no time turning heads in Anaheim. Just days after the Los Angeles Angels promoted their No. 1 prospect from Triple-A Salt Lake, the 22-year-old launched his first Major-League home run—a 398-foot shot to left that tied Friday night’s game against Houston and electrified Angel Stadium. The milestone blast capped a whirlwind month for Moore, who was called up when veteran Brandon Drury landed on the injured list. According to ESPN, the Angels viewed the former Tennessee Volunteers star as “big-league ready” after he slashed .342/.418/.596 with eight homers and 22 extra-base hits in just 38 Pacific Coast League games. Manager Ron Washington has already penciled Moore into the starting lineup nearly every night, praising the rookie’s mature strike-zone judgment and above-average glove. “He’s got that rare mix of power and plate discipline,” Washington said postgame. “The moment’s not too big for him, and you can see it in the dugout—he expects to contribute.” Scouts have been bullish on Moore’s bat since his college days in Knoxville, where he set a Tennessee single-season record with 24 home runs and helped propel the Vols to the 2023 College World Series. Selected eighth overall in last year’s draft, the 6-foot-1 right-hander signed for a $4.99 million bonus and rocketed through the Halos’ system, earning MLB Pipeline’s No. 56 overall prospect ranking this spring. What’s fueling his early success? Advanced metrics offer a clue: Moore’s average exit velocity sits at 92.4 mph, and his hard-hit rate (balls struck 95 mph or higher) already eclipses the league average. Combine that thunder with a 26 ft/sec sprint speed and you have a dynamic top-of-the-order candidate—something the Angels have sorely lacked since trading Brandon Marsh in 2022. Fantasy baseball managers are taking notice; Moore’s roster percentage on major platforms has tripled since his promotion, and analysts see 15-20 homer upside if he keeps the job all season. The primary hurdle will be contact consistency—his strikeout rate hovered at 27 percent in Triple-A—but early returns point to an ability to make in-game adjustments. Off the field, Moore credits a rigorous offseason program in Nashville for adding 10 pounds of muscle and refining his footwork around the keystone. “I wanted to arrive ready, not just hopeful,” he told reporters. “When you walk into a clubhouse with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, you’d better bring something to the table.” Next up: a seven-game West Coast swing that includes Moore’s first look at division-leading Seattle. If the rookie keeps barreling baseballs the way he did against the Astros, expect the “Christian Moore” search term to keep trending—and for Angels fans to dream a little bigger in 2025.