WEST SACRAMENTO -- Angels prospect Christian Moore was promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday, as the organization wants to challenge him by moving him up a level from Double-A Rocket City.
Moore, the club’s No. 1 prospect and MLB’s overall No. 60 prospect per MLB Pipeline, had been performing better offensively after a slow start. Moore, 22, hit .234/.342/.323 with a homer, four doubles, two triples and 14 RBIs in 34 games at Double-A. But he finished on a seven-game hitting streak, batting .310 with a double and three RBIs to earn his first promotion to the Triple-A level. Moore made an impact in his Triple-A debut, going 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs in a 6-5 win.
"He started swinging the bat better in Double-A and the organization felt like he needed a challenge, so we're going to give him that challenge,” manager Ron Washington said. “He might go up to Triple-A and all of a sudden he finds what we want him to do, and he might go up to Triple-A and it doesn’t happen, but we wanted to give him the challenge.”
The Angels would like Moore to display more power, much like he did last year when he had a hot start to his professional career and would’ve been a September callup if he didn’t suffer a minor knee injury. He hit .347/.400/.584 with six homers, six doubles and 20 RBIs in 25 games between Single-A Inland Empire (two games) and Double-A Rocket City (23 games) last year.
He also lacked thump during his first Major League Spring Training, as he hit .217/.321/.283 with a double, a triple and four RBIs in 25 games. But power is considered one of his calling cards, as he dominated at the University of Tennnessee as a junior last year. He batted .375/.451/.797 with 34 homers and 74 RBIs in 72 games while leading the Volunteers to the College World Series title.
Moore, though, has been improving defensively at second base, which is something Washington noted.
"The defense was great,” Washington said. “He played in 30-something games, made two mistakes or two errors that showed up. He’s been doing great defensively, and he started swinging the bat better, and we wanted to give him a challenge.”
Moore is also joined by reliever Robert Stephenson, who was moved up to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday as part of his rehab assignment from Tommy John surgery. Stephenson, who signed a three-year deal worth $33 million before last season but missed the 2024 campaign due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament, threw two innings with Single-A Inland Empire, allowing one run with two strikeouts. He’s eligible to be activated from the 60-day IL on May 27 and his 30-day rehab assignment expires on June 12.
Washington said the Angels want to make sure he’s fully healthy and has his command working before he’s activated and joins the bullpen.
"It's going to depend on his recovery, it's going to depend on the workload he takes on,” Washington said. “Right now, we’re going to take it a day at a time. And see how he recovers, see what he does, and make our adjustment from there.”