Former Stanford star Malcolm Moore recently achieved his dream by being selected No. 30 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. The franchise made it official on Wednesday evening by signing him to a rookie deal worth $3 million, according to Jim Callis. The slot value for the pick is $2,971,300. Moore had just completed his sophomore year with the Cardinal.
Moore, a catcher for Stanford, is known for his solid defense and strong batting skills. Over two seasons, he played in 118 games and maintained a .288 average. Although his batting average and power declined slightly in 2024—with 12 fewer doubles—he improved in other areas, drawing more walks, striking out less, and hitting one more home run, totaling 31 home runs in his college career.
He also enhanced his defensive skills, throwing out 22 of 51 base runners attempting to steal second base this season.
Moore, a left-handed hitter, was one of the top hitting prospects out of high school in the 2022 draft but chose to attend Stanford. His MLB.com scouting report highlights his potential as a Major League hitter.
“There is still confidence that Moore will hit at the next level,” the report states. “He makes a lot of hard contact to all fields and has easily plus raw power, which he demonstrated with 15 home runs as a freshman. He’s shown an advanced approach at the plate, including doing damage with two strikes, though catching every day wore him out in his first year of college. While his numbers were down for much of his sophomore season, he still had elite chase rates and swing-and-miss rates in the zone.”
Ranked as the No. 26 overall prospect in the draft by MLB.com, Moore could have been even more highly sought after with better defensive skills.
“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 about his glove as they are about his bat,” the scouting report adds. “He’s not a bad receiver and moves decently, with some scouts noting improvement behind the dish this spring. He shows an average arm at times, but it’s often more fringy, which could be improved with better footwork. Even if he needs to move to first base, his offensive potential could still make him a first-rounder.”
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