TEMPE, Ariz. — During the first week of big-league exhibition games, Christian Moore kept asking his teammates the same questions about pitchers he was facing.
“Is this guy good?” Moore asked.
He quickly got an answer that told him he didn’t need to keep asking.
“They’re all good,” Moore recalled hearing. “That was something that flipped a switch in my mind. When you come into a game, odds are everybody on the diamond is really good at their job. That’s why they’re here. That was something that definitely flipped for me.”
It’s been an eye-opening spring for Moore, the Angels’ top position player prospect. This time last year, Moore was just getting ready for the start of the Southeastern Conference schedule at Tennessee.
After he led the Volunteers to a College World Series title, Moore was picked by the Angels with the eighth selection in the draft. Because of the Angels’ quick promotion of prospects, questions began immediately about how soon Moore could reach the majors.
This spring has given the baseball world the best indication of just how close Moore, 22, is to being ready. Although he’s still in big-league camp and fighting for a job, he’s shown there is still some work to do.
Moore was 9 for 33 (.273) heading into Friday’s game, with one extra-base hit, a triple. He has struck out 13 times and walked six times.
Some of his best at-bats came early, including a two-strike hit to key a ninth-inning rally in the first game. He’s shown good plate discipline at times.
“What happened, that happens with young kids is his first week here, he was just letting it go,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Then he started thinking. He even started thinking in BP. See what I’m saying? That’s just youth, but the kid can outright swing the bat. … He’s fighting up there, but he’s seeing stuff and doing things that he’s never done before. He did it in college and then he did it in A-ball and Double-A, so he’s starting to see what the major leagues is like.”
Moore said one of the adjustments is seeing high fastballs.
“The high heater is something I definitely wanted to work on in the offseason, but that zone wasn’t real popular in college,” Moore said. “A lot of guys it was down, down, down. You might get a ball below the knees. I was able to handle that. Now it’s kind of flipping. I’m looking at the top of the zone. I’m working on that.”
On the defensive side, Moore has gone through the normal drills that Washington has for all his infielders. Every morning they go through a workout with Washington and infield coach Ryan Goins, even before the regular workout.
“It’s getting way better,” Moore said. “Looking back at highlights from college and looking at myself now, it’s night and day. I love the process and the progress I’m making. I never thought I’d be that good of a defender. I just always relied on my athletic ability. It’s beautiful when you put in the work. Things can happen.”
Washington said Moore’s defense is “making strides, and we’ve just got to make sure that continues.”
He had a rough game Tuesday. He made an error and misplayed two other balls that were ruled hits. After that game, Washington acknowledged the issues, but said he’s confident Moore is putting in the effort to get there.
Moore admits he’s got work to do, starting with the pregame drills.
“I want to get to the point where, whatever I do, I’m not missing anything,” Moore said. “I’m not there yet. I want to be there. I’m in great hands. Whatever happens, whether I’m here or I go back down to minor-league ball, I know I’m in great hands. I know whoever’s there can help me.”
The Angels had Moore work out at third base in instructional league in the fall, but since spring training has worked only at second. The plan was for him to get work at both spots, but the Angels decided to have him to stick to second, for now.
“He just needs more time on the field,” Washington said. “His natural spot is second, so we’ll keep him at second.”
As for his demeanor off the field, the Angels have been happy to see Moore came into the camp with the proper attitude. He hasn’t shown the entitlement that some top prospects have. His locker is between Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel, previous prospects who reached the majors quickly.
“I told him, just like I got told when I was a young kid, just keep open ears and a quiet mouth,” Neto said. “Hear and everything and don’t talk back. If you have questions, of course ask questions. The biggest thing is just to take in as much as you can, not only from me, but everybody else in this locker room and the coaches.”
RENGIFO UPDATE
Luis Rengifo, who has been working back from a hamstring issue, was in the lineup as the starting third baseman Friday. It was just the second big-league exhibition of the spring for Rengifo, who missed time earlier because of an illness.
Rengifo was scheduled to play four innings and bat two or three times.
The Angels had been getting Rengifo plenty of reps at the plate in the previous days, when he hit in minor-league games, without playing the field or running the bases.
Washington said Rengifo’s timing was off, but if he continued without any setbacks, he would have time to be ready for Opening Day.
NETO UPDATE
Neto stood in the box against Reid Detmers, José Suarez and Chase Silseth during their bullpen sessions Friday. Neto still hasn’t hit against live pitching, so this was simply to get him some preparation taking game-speed pitching.
He has been hitting off coaches in regular on-field batting practice.
“Swing is feeling really good,” Neto said. “Healthy. Just trying to get back to game-like swings.”
Defensively, Neto is throwing at a distance of 105 feet, which is just one step short of the 120 feet he needs to reach before he can make full throws from shortstop to first base. He’s been throwing from shortstop to second.
Neto, who had shoulder surgery in November, is expected to start the season on the injured list but be back sometime in April.
NOTES
Third baseman Yoán Moncada was a late scratch from Friday’s lineup because of thumb soreness. He had been scheduled to start in the home game, but when he was scratched, Rengifo was switched into the home lineup instead of the lineup for the game against the A’s in Mesa. …
The Angels have been using catchers Logan O’Hoppe and Travis d’Arnaud in the No. 2 spot in spring training, but Washington said that’s just so the catchers can get their at-bats quicker, without as many innings in the field. Washington said he’s leaning toward Taylor Ward in the leadoff spot, and Mike Trout and Jorge Soler at Nos. 3-4, but the second spot remains in question. Washington said he’d begin using his normal lineup around the middle of next week.