Texas Rangers Sign First-Rounder Malcolm Moore of Stanford

Jason Burke | Aug 3, 2024

Jul 24, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers first round draft pick Malcolm Moore throws out the first pitch before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

With the 30th pick in the MLB Draft, the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers selected Malcolm Moore, a catcher from Stanford. Moore, freshly 21, put together two solid seasons with the Cardinal, batting a combined .288 with a .399 OBP and 31 home runs between the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Moore was the No. 26 ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline, and he ended up signing with the Rangers for a slightly above-slot $3 million deal. The slot value for the 30th overall pick was $2,971,300.

The former Stanford catcher joins the Rangers organization as their third overall prospect, according to Baseball America. They also rank him ahead of Jack Leiter, who was selected by Texas second overall in the 2021 Draft. FanGraphs ranks Moore a little lower, down at No. 6 in the Rangers' system. They also have Moore ranked ahead of Leiter, as well as Texas' top pick in 2022, Kumar Rocker, who was selected third overall.

Moore has been seen as a bat-first backstop, with below average defense. FanGraphs did say he is "one of the more complete hitters in the entire 2024 draft and became a much more patient hitter this season" which could lead to him moving fairly quickly through the minors if they intend to move him out from behind the plate.

If Texas plans to keep him at catcher, then it will take receiving reps behind the dish in order to nail down some of those skills, which will take a little longer. There is a good chance that he begins his pro career with either Low-A or High-A in order to get him acclimated to life as a pro baseball player.