Christian Moore signs rookie contract with LA Angels for $4.9 million

Christian Moore was officially inked by the LA Angels on Friday evening. The former Tennessee star signed a rookie deal with the franchise worth $4.99 million dollars, according to Carlos Collazo of Baseball America. He was selected by the Angels with the No. 8 overall selection in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Moore starred for the Volunteers at the plate in 2024. He set the new Tennessee single-season record for home runs this past season, finishing the year with 34 en route to helping lead his program to a first-ever national championship victory. He broke the previous record, 25, in May before showcasing his hitting skills on a national stage in Omaha.

He averaged .375 at the plate where he scored 83 runs off 111 hits. He totaled 74 RBIs across that stretch while drawing 38 walks in a team-high 296 at-bats this past season.

“His right-handed swing can get overly long and he still chases too many pitches out of the zone, but he’s making more consistent contact in 2024,” Moore’s MLB scouting report reads.

“Though Moore’s big hacks lead to below-average run times out of the batter’s box, he can show solid speed once he gets going and looks to steal and take extra bases. He can make some fine plays in the middle infield but also can botch some routine ones and needs more defensive consistency. He played briefly at shortstop this year but his average arm strength means he’s probably more of a second baseman, and it’s possible that he could wind up in center field.”

Moore finished his college career having become the third player in SEC baseball history to secure the Triple Crown while terrorizing pitching staffs from the leadoff spot all season long. He’s proven that he can do a little bit of everything, too as Moore recorded the second cycle ever in a College World Series game, doing so against Florida State on June 14. Even more impressive, it was his fifth hit of the day and he ended up scoring the game-tying home run from second base at the next at-bat.

He can hang his hat on knowing that not only did he rewrite Tennessee baseball record books, Moore will also go down as one of the pivotal pieces to the Vols’ first-ever College World Series victory.

Basically, Moore did everything there is to do from a hitter’s perspective while in college. As he moves into the MLB’s minor leagues, Moore’s name will be circled on quite a few scouting reports from here on out as he works his way up the organization.

On3’s Barkley Truax also contributed to this article.