Angels’ Christian Moore looks to shorten swing after rookie season

TEMPE, Ariz. — A year ago, in his first spring training as a professional, Christian Moore thought he knew what it took to be a major leaguer.

Now, he knows.

“Last year, you think you’re training for it,” the Angels’ infielder said. “At least this year having those 50 games of experience, now I understand what I’m going up against every day, the level of competition and where my mind and body needs to be. It was awesome having that experience and having that going into the offseason.”

Moore, 23, comes into camp as the strong candidate to be the everyday second baseman, but it’s still a job he has to win. There are veterans like Adam Frazier, Chris Taylor and Nick Madrigal, and even young players like Vaughn Grissom and Kyren Paris also in the mix.

The Angels are also experimenting with Moore at third base. When oft-injured third baseman Yoán Moncada is out, the Angels best lineup might be with Moore at third and a better defender at second.

The eighth pick in the 2024 draft, Moore has the prospect pedigree to handle the job. He needs to clean up some of the rough spots that were exposed during his 53-game rookie season in 2025.

Moore hit .198 with a .655 OPS. He hit seven homers. He also struck out 62 times, for a 34% strikeout rate. The major league average is 22%.

That’s why one of his points of emphasis in the winter was shortening his swing.

“Last year I got a little too big at times,” Moore said. “Not saying I was trying to leave the yard, but definitely trying to hit the ball hard. But these guys throw the ball hard enough, if I can just put the barrel on it, I’m a strong guy. Not saying it’ll jump over the wall, but I can put a good swing on it. Just trying to shorten up and see what can happen.”

Manager Kurt Suzuki pulled his answers directly from Player Development 101 when explaining that what Moore really needs is experience.

“It’s just being in big situations,” Suzuki said. “We see the talent. The talent is there. It’s just getting reps. The guy is working hard every day.”

Predictably, Suzuki also wouldn’t place a timetable on Moore becoming the player the organization thinks he can be.

“Players develop at their own pace,” Suzuki said. “With Christian being how talented he is, we’ll see how it goes this camp. See what he does.”

While Angels fans still haven’t seen what Moore can become, an opposing manager has a good idea.

New Giants manager Tony Vitello was Moore’s coach at the University of Tennessee, where they won a national championship in 2024.

“I think he can become a guy in the lineup that everybody else is game-planning around on the opposing team because he’s a thorn in their side,” Vitello said last week. “One of the reasons he is that is because he can really adjust. He thinks his way through at-bats. In the cage when he’s preparing, it’s not just to get swings or to feel good, it’s with a purpose and to put together a game plan on how he’s going to have success.”

Looking back at how Moore adjusted through his time at Tennessee, Vitello said he expects Moore to use last season’s experience to grow.

“It’s good for him to get his feet wet because it is a little bit more of a marathon in pro ball than it is a sprint in college,” Vitello said. “He’s someone that was really fun to watch grow up, and somebody we have no chance of winning a national championship without.”

NOTES

Suzuki said right-handers Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson each need to continue throwing in the bullpen before taking the next step, which would be facing hitters. He’s nonetheless optimistic about the progress that both are making in returning from their respective injuries. “Every time I talk to Ben and I talk to Stephenson, they are both chomping at the bit, ready to go,” Suzuki said. “That’s a good sign. They’re both feeling good. They’re both excited where they are. And that’s all we can ask right now.” …

Right-hander Caden Dana is still limited in his workouts because of an illness that has dogged him for the entire first two weeks of spring training. “He’s not doing the full strenuous workouts,” Suzuki said. “He’s coming in, playing catch and then going home.”