Top Angels draft pick is squandering a prime opportunity to snag big league roster spot

After the Los Angeles Angels drafted Christian Moore with the No. 8 overall pick in 2024, it looked like he was on the fast track to the majors, even by the Angels' standards. There was no shortage of speculation after a series of very quick promotions that Moore could debut in the majors during his draft year, but an injury put an end to that plan.

Still, most Angels fans thought that Moore would have already entrenched himself in the majors by now, given how aggressively LA was promoting him. He did appear in 53 MLB games for the Angels, but that first stint in the big leagues was largely a disappointment. However, many still thought he would feature in the team's plans for 2026.

Given how third baseman Yoan Moncada has played, the door is wide open. The Angels sent Moore to the minors at the start of the season to get some more time at third, and he has split his playing time between the hot corner and second base. However, the problem is that Moore is letting this prime window of opportunity pass him by because he just isn't hitting.

Yoan Moncada stinks, but Christian Moore just isn't forcing the Angels' hand so far

No one realistically thinks that the Angels should desire to play Moncada as much as they have. Through 96 plate appearances, Moncada's .190/.333/.329 line hasn't exactly wowed anyone, and most would have preferred Moore (or really anyone) to be playing in his place.

However, there is one pretty big snag with that plan: Moore isn't hitting, either. In 21 games down at Triple-A, Moore has only managed to slash .219/.437/.452 with a couple of homers. He is walking a lot at least, but it is probably fair to wonder if Moore would hit any better in the majors right now than Moncada.

The "good" news is that it feels like this window of opportunity will be open for a while, as Moncada isn't exactly showing signs of waking up at the plate. However, Moore needs to get his act together and start actually impacting the ball soon. If he doesn't, he could discover that someone had seized the chance instead.

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