Angels fans confused as team bizarrely shifts prospect plan with Christian Moore

The Kansas City Royals surprised the baseball world with their recent promotion of Jac Caglianone, the team's top overall prospect, the no. 10 prospect in all of baseball and the sixth pick of the 2024 MLB Draft. Caglianone was pushed from Double-A to Triple-A less than two weeks ago, and his first six-game series was spent facing the Salt Lake Bees. He promptly slashed .346/.357/.923/1.280 with five home runs, 10 RBIs and 24 total bases against pitchers in the Angels organization.

It just so happened that Caglianone's Triple-A debut on May 20th coincided with another top prospect's debut at that level, and that player slashed .478/.552/.652/1.204 with 11 hits (which included a home run), 8 RBIs and 15 total bases in that very same series. That player was interestingly selected two picks after Caglianone, and plays in an organization that historically calls up prospect much faster than the Royals do.

Angels fans confused as team bizarrely shifts prospect plan with Christian Moore

Christian Moore has played in 12 games with the Bees, slashing .362/.456/.468/.924 and playing every game at second base. The Angels' big league rotation of second basemen are comprised of Luis Rengifo, Kevin Newman, Chris Taylor and Scott Kingery. Since Moore's Triple-A debut, those four players are slashing .175/.209/.190/.399 with 0 home runs and a 14:3 K:BB. That sample size is not misappropriating Angels' second basemen's season, as for the year their -11.9 offensive fWAR ranks 28th in MLB.

Like the Royals did with Caglianone, the Angels could promote Moore to both provide their offense with a spark plug (Matthew Lugo style) and solidify their weak link positionally (the Royals' corner outfielders have been atrocious offensively). Unlike like what the Royals are doing with their top prospect, the Angels would not require Moore to play an unfamiliar position. Caglianone is in the middle of a transition to the outfield so the Royals can keep Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez at first base and DH. Ron Washington recently praised Moore's defense since his promotion to the Bees.

Zach Neto made his MLB debut on April 15th, 2023 after getting drafted in 2022. Nolan Schanuel made his Angels debut on August 18th, 2023 after getting drafted a month earlier. Top prospects like Caden Dana, Sam Aldegheri, Ryan Johnson and Matthew Lugo have all been brought up. FanGraphs currently lists the Angels' playoff odds at 1.3% yet Moore is not yet at the big league level.

It seems fairly simple that Moore should be promoted to start every game at second base, and if the Angels take a sizable lead then they could sub him out for defensive purposes with Newman. The Angels clearly do not factor Rengifo into their plans moving forward, yet still carry him on their roster despite being one of the worst players in the league. His spot should go to Moore, letting fans enjoy a Neto-Moore double play duo up-the-middle, and perhaps the Angels' no. 1 prospect will pop offensively like Neto and Schanuel did before him. It's what's best for all parties involved.

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