Texas Rangers select Stanford catcher Malcolm Moore in 2024 MLB Draft

Stanford catcher Malcolm Moore heard his name called in the 2024 MLB Draft, getting picked by Texas Rangers with the No. 30 overall pick.

A sophomore in 2024 for Stanford, Moore has remaining eligibility and could return to college if he opts not to sign. Otherwise, he’ll begin his climb up through the farm system after putting pen to paper on a pro contract.

Playing behind the dish for Stanford, Moore is a solid defender with a plus bat. Moore hit for a .288 average in two seasons at Stanford, playing in 118 games. Moore’s average and power dipped slightly — 12 fewer doubles — in 2024 as he played in 10 fewer games, but he got more free passes, struck out less and actually hit one more home run to have 31 through two seasons with the Cardinal.

Moore also improved his ability to defend the base paths from behind home plate, throwing out 22 of 51 runners attempting to steal second base on him this season.

Moore, who hits lefty, was considered among the top hitting prospects out of high school in the 2022 draft when he opted to go to Stanford. His MLB.com scouting report lays out the belief in Moore to crack into that hitting potential as a Major League player.

“There is still confidence that Moore will hit at the next level,” the report said. “He makes a lot of hard contact to all fields and has easily plus raw power he showed he can tap into with 15 home runs as a freshman. He’s shown he can have an advanced approach at the plate, including doing damage with two strikes, though he wore out catching every day in his first year of college. While his surface numbers were down for much of his sophomore season, he still had elite chase rates and swing-and-miss rates in the zone.”

And Moore, who is the No. 26 overall prospect in the draft according to MLB.com, would potentially be even more sought-after if he had a bit more defensive upside.

“If teams think he can be an average catcher, he could easily be considered a top 10 pick, but scouts aren’t quite as convinced on his glove as they are on his bat,” the scouting report said. “He’s not a bad receiver and moves decently enough, with some scouts seeing improvement behind the dish this spring. He’ll flash an average arm, but it’s often more fringy, though some of that can be cleaned up with improved footwork. Even if a team thinks he’ll need to move to first base, his offensive potential could make him a first-rounder.”