After leading Tennessee all the way to the College World Series title this spring, Christian Moore hasn’t skipped a beat in his pro debut.

Moore, drafted No. 8 overall by the Los Angeles Angels last month, is off to a remarkable start with the organization.

The Angels initially assigned Moore to its Single-A affiliate, but he lasted just 2 games there before receiving an aggressive promotion to AA. Moore has been with Rocket City ever since, and has (so far) been easily the most impressive ex-SEC player selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

While Charlie Condon, Jac Caglianone and others have struggled at lower levels, Moore is thriving in the upper minors in AA. Through 9 games, Moore is hitting .438 with 5 home runs.

Moore’s batting average on balls in play is currently sitting at .500, which indicates that Moore has been very fortunate with batted-ball luck so far. His batting average is due for some regression, but there’s plenty of room for that with how well he has been hitting the ball so far.

Moore’s strikeout rate also checks in at just over 24%. That’s maybe a little high for someone with Moore’s profile, but it’s hardly something to complain about considering Moore has a .938 slugging percentage to this point in the season.

Moore’s power has been the standout tool to this point in his pro debut. Here are a couple of highlights from Moore’s hot start in the minors:

At this point, Moore seems very likely to be the first 2024 draftee to make his MLB debut. That’s due to both his performance so far and how the Angels have handled their top prospects in recent years. Last year’s first-round pick, Nolan Schanuel, reached The Show in his first professional campaign.

Zach Neto, the Angels’ 2022 first-rounder, went from playing at Campbell to battling in the Majors in roughly 1 year. He played in just 48 minor league games before the Angels gave him a shot with their big league club.

For now, Moore will have to settle for playing in AA — but a call-up to the big leagues could be on the horizon in the next few weeks or in early 2025.

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