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Christian Moore named Southern League Player of the Week

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•08/12/24•

_Cainer

Former Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore is fresh off his first week of Double-A action and he’s already reeled in a prestigious honor. On Monday, it was announced that Moore was named the Southern League Player of the Week following his first six games with the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

Moore, who was selected eighth overall by the Los Angeles Angels this summer, is off to a ridiculous start to his professional career. The infielder hit for a .550 average after going 11-for-20 at the plate with four home runs and six runs driven in while earning the award for games played through August 5-11.

In the five games against the Birmingham Barons, Moore logged multiple hits in three contests and recorded an OPS of 1.741. During the stretch, the star compiled a pair of four-hit, two-homer games and logged his first professional walk-off home run last Wednesday. The weekly award is the first for the Southern League of any 2024 draftee.

Moore has played in six total games for the Trash Pandas and is hitting .542 with six home runs and seven RBI. He played his first two professional games with High-A Inland empire 66ers of the California League, going 6-for-11 (.546) with one home run and six RBI before receiving the call-up.  

Rocket City travels to Chattanooga to take on the Lookouts on Tuesday for the first of a seven-game series. Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The game starts at 7:15 pm ET.      

Former Tennessee right-handed pitcher and current Rockies No. 1 prosect – Chase Dollander – was also named the Pitcher of the Week for the Eastern League on Monday as a member of the Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of Colorado.

Shortly after the draft, Moore inked his first professional contract for $4,997,500. The slot value for the eighth overall selection in the Major League Baseball Draft was set at $6,502,800 – meaning, Moore signed for $1,505,300 under slot value.

With the eighth overall selection in last weekend’s draft, the former Vol becomes the highest draft pick for Tennessee since Nick Senzel went No. 2 overall in 2016.

At the time of his selection, Moore became the 20th first round first round pick in Tennessee program history and the fifth of the Tony Vitello era. Tennessee’s Chase Dollander was taken ninth overall by the Rockies in 2023, Drew Gilbert 28th overall by the Astros in 2022, Jordan Beck 38th by the Rockies in 2022 and Garrett Crochet 11th overall by the White Sox in 2020.

The second baseman was slated No. 13 in the final draft rankings by MLB.com. Moore was ranked 12th overall by the final rendition from Baseball America.

Moore, the Triple Crown award winner for Southeastern Conference play, was one of college baseball’s best players in 2024, scorching the baseball for 34 home runs and 74 runs batted in from the leadoff spot. His .375 batting average was four ticks lower than teammate Blake Burke, who led the squad.  

The infielder also recorded just the second cycle ever in a College World Series game against Florida State on June 14, but it was his fifth hit of the day that was most important – a double where he turned around to score the game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Burke’s two-run single.

Moore hauled in three first-team All-American accolades and two more second-team honors following the 2024 season. He was also named to the All-Southeastern Conference Team at second base. He also finished his Tennessee career as the program-record holder with 61 home runs and 34 in a single season.

The former Tennessee slugger was one of eight draft picks for the Vols in 2024.

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