Next up on in our the MWaH/LAAI Top 30 Angels Prospect countdown we enter the top ten with the man who is sure to become the next fourth outfielder du jour for the Angels, Jeremy Moore.
Jeremy Moore
Position: OF Level: AAA and a September call up to the majors
Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 6’1″ Weight: 190 lbs.
Age: 24 Born: June 29, 1987
2011 Season Stats (AAA): 426 AB, .298 AVG, .331 OBP, .545 SLG, 24 2B, 18 3B, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 114 SO, 21 SB, 10 CS, .370 BABIP
2011 Season Stats (VWL): 131 AB, .260 AVG, .289 OBP, .435 SLG, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 40 SO, 6 SB, 3 CS
2011 Season Stats (Majors): 8 AB, .125 AVG, .125 OBP, .125 SLG, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 SO, 0 SB, 0 CS, .167 BABIP
Bat – B. Hits for average, power, gap power, but strikes out way too much, no discipline.
Speed – B. One of the fastest in the system, though not a great base thief.
Arm – C+. Not a great arm, but good enough to play all three OF spots.
Performance – A. Hard to argue against 50+ XBH, 20 SB and .300 average.
Projection – C. Off the charts tools but his poor OBP and discipline will hold him back.
Comp – Floor: Fred Lewis. Ceiling: Johnny Damon
Estimated MLB Arrival Date: 2012
Video: Moore’s first career hit
(*As always, the above scouting report is provided by Scotty Allen of LA Angels Insider)
Season Summary: After a breakout season in Double-A in 2010, it seemed like the toolsy outfielder was finally “getting it.” But nobody was going to be able to say for sure until he moved up to Triple-A to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. Survey says…. not a fluke!
Yep, Moore arrived made the jump to Salt Lake and proceeded to put up even stronger numbers than he did during his big 2010 campaign. While the thin air of Salt Lake surely aided with that, it was still a very impressive all-around performance for Moore who showed once again that he can hit for average and power while using his speed as a lethal weapon. While his 15 homers may not knock your socks off, adding 24 doubles and 18 triples to his extra-base total is very telling of what kind of pop his bat has.
What Moore didn’t do though was make any progress in terms of plate discipline. In fact, he might have actually taken a step backwards. Moore once again struck out over 100 times and he walked just 21 times, down from 39 walks the season before. Even for an organization that hasn’t placed much of an emphasis on patience, Moore’s complete and total lack of it continues to loom as the Achilles heel to his career.
Despite his plate discipline problems, the performance was still good enough for the Angels to honor Moore with a call up in September. He didn’t get much playing time other than a few pinch-running appearances and two starts after the Angels were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
What to Expect in 2012: Depending on what happens in free agency this off-season, Moore could be in line to serve as a reserve outfielder for the Angels in the majors in 2012. However, with the outfield so jammed up right now, it is also possible that he will assume Reggie Willits’ old role of being the guy who shuttles back and forth between the majors and minors half a dozen time throughout the year. Moore does have a lot of work to do with his pitch selection and patience, but that flaw is something the Halos can live with in a bench role. His raw speed also makes him a quality pinch-runner option and a defensive replacement, though he still has development to do in both of those areas as well.
The thing about Moore is even though he is already 24 years old, he still is a decidedly raw talent. He was drafted out of high school from a dirt poor area of Louisiana, so he hasn’t really been playing in a competitive environment for very long when compared to other prospects of the same age. Moore just doesn’t seem to have the same mental grasp on the game as other players. That’s why he struggles with pitch recognition and selection. That’s why his base stealing success rate is poor for someone with his speed. That’s why he doesn’t end up covering as much ground in the outfield as someone with his athletic ability should.
In all reality, Moore is both ready for big league action but also very much in need of more development. What the Angels need to figure out is if he is better off learning and playing everyday in Salt Lake or not playing very much but learning at the feet of Torii Hunter, a player who has an incredibly similar story to Moore and the very sort of player Moore could develop into in a best case scenario.