Scott Moore Stats & Scouting Report

AB	385
AVG	.242
OBP	.302
SLG	.41
HR	16

Full name Scott Alan Moore
Born 11/17/1983 in Long Beach, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Cypress
Debut 09/04/2006
Drafted in the 1st round (8th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2002 (signed for $2,300,000).

View Draft Report

Moore has supplanted the more heralded Sergio Santos as not only the top shortstop prospect in Southern California, but also the top player. He should be picked in the middle of the first round, with the nearby Angels, who select 12th, particularly interested. Moore has legitimate speed (6.7 seconds in the 60) and arm strength (89 mph across the infield) and excellent instincts for the game. His best tool is a lefthanded bat that has been compared to that of Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez at a comparable stage of development. Scouts say he should have no trouble adapting to wood while projecting 20-25 home runs down the road. He is quick to the ball, his bat stays in the hitting zone and he gets great extension. As an all-around player, Moore resembles Chipper Jones, with good hands, good body control and a good baseball body. He is better suited for third base than shortstop and lacks the range to play shortstop at the next level. The only real knock on the Cal State Fullerton signee is what some scouts perceive as cockiness.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Moore looked like a first-round bust after three seasons in the Tigers system, but a trade to the Cubs for Kyle Farnsworth before the 2005 season gave his career a jumpstart. He was blocked at third base there by Aramis Ramirez, however, so Chicago included him and minor league righthanders Rocky Cherry and Jake Renshaw in a late-season deal for Steve Trachsel. Moore jumped right to the big leagues after the trade and held his own in September. Moore offers above-average lefthanded power at the plate, and he has hit at least 20 home runs in each of the last three seasons. His .260 career minor league average is about what scouts expect him to hit in the big leagues, as he strikes out a lot and has trouble with breaking balls. He has become a solid defensive third baseman, with a strong arm, though he occasionally has trouble with his accuracy. The Cubs gave him some Triple-A time in the outfield to increase his versatility and his chances of making their roster, and he was decent out there. He's an average runner whose instincts help him get the most of his speed. The Orioles were in full roster makeover mode in the offseason, and depending on how things shake out Moore could end up as the everyday third baseman. He should at least make the team as a backup, because he can also play at first base or on the outfield corners. Another recent trade acquisition, Mike Costanzo, could push him for playing time at the hot corner later in the year.
A change of scenery was apparently just what Moore needed. He struggled after the Tigers made him the eighth overall pick in the 2002 draft, but he has hit 44 homers in two seasons since coming to the Cubs in a February 2005 trade for Kyle Farnsworth. Moore's power grades as a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale and plays to all fields. After leading the high Class A Florida State League in errors the previous two years, he was much steadier in 2006 and managers rated him the best defensive third baseman in the Double-A Southern League. He has average speed and runs the bases well. Until he cuts down on his swing and his strikeouts, Moore won't hit for a high average. He's not as pull-crazy as he used to be, but he'll still chase breaking balls. Most of his errors still come on throws, though he has improved his accuracy and footwork. With Aramis Ramirez locked up for the next five years, Moore is blocked at third base with the Cubs. He saw time at first base, left field and even shortstop in the Arizona Fall League, and will move around the diamond this year in Triple-A. He has the ceiling of a lefthanded David Bell, but Moore ultimately will serve Chicago as a versatile reserve or as trade bait.
Moore's career was going nowhere when the Cubs picked him up from the Tigers in a three-prospect package for Kyle Farnsworth last February. The eighth overall pick and the recipient of a $2.3 million bonus in 2002, Moore batted .240 with 24 homers and 266 strikeouts over 265 pro games in his first three pro seasons. Faced with repeating high Class A, Moore made adjustments to his approach. He got more selective at the plate, stopped trying to pull everything and didn't get down on himself when he struggled. His swing is still long and he always will pile up strikeouts, but if he generates the plus lefthanded power he showed in 2005, that's fine. He improved so dramatically that he represented Chicago at the Futures Game--in Detroit--and earned a spot on the 40-man roster. Moore has average speed and range at third base, and a plus throwing arm. His mechanics and footwork are rough, however, and he has led Florida State League third basemen in errors for two years running. The Cubs are anxious to see if his breakthrough is for real and should learn more from his Double-A performance in 2006.
Moore is fighting the notion it was a mistake for Detroit to select him eighth overall and hand him a $2.3 million bonus in 2002. His tools have played below average across the board, but he manages to keep the Tigers and scouts intrigued with his raw power potential, which is the best in the system. Despite a career-high 14 homers in 2004, Moore continued to be a disappointment. Though his batting stroke is sound, he hit a career-low .223 and struck out more than once a game. He has had problems making contact. He was compared to Eric Chavez as a high schooler, but Moore hit just .329 as a senior--and, in retrospect, that should have been a tipoff. Drafted as a shortstop, Moore shifted to third base after his first pro season. He continues to struggle with throws across the diamond because of inconsistent fundamentals--he led Florida State League third basemen with 28 errors last year-- though his arm strength is good. He doesn't run very well and lacks the lively actions found in most players taken in the upper half of the first round. If Moore moves up to Double-A this season, he'll face a major challenge in refining his approach against more advanced pitching. He may repeat high Class A in an attempt to build his confidence.
Moore was drafted eighth overall in 2002 as a shortstop and spent his first pro season there in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Scouts and Tigers officials projected him as a third baseman, and he moved there last spring. He spent three weeks in extended spring training learning the position before going to low Class A. Moore's calling card is his classic lefthanded stroke. When he makes contact, he hits the ball hard and shows considerable power potential. He has soft hands and good arm strength. Moore has struck out 141 times in 147 games as a pro, more the result of his inconsistent approach than his swing. He's overaggressive at times and not aggressive enough at others. He has trouble with the footwork at third base, which leads to bad throws and errors. He doesn't run well, especially for someone drafted as a shortstop. Moore looks like a one-dimensional player who will go as far as his bat will carry him, and he's going to have to make adjustments if it's going to carry him to the majors. The Tigers would like to move Moore to high Class A to begin 2004, but they question whether he's ready for the leap.
Moore drew comparisons to Eric Chavez and Chipper Jones while emerging as the top prospect in Southern California. He signed quickly for $2.3 million, the third-highest bonus in club history. Despite wrist and back problems, he performed well in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Moore has a smooth lefthanded stroke and considerable power potential. He already has a live bat that will enable him to move to third base if needed. As an infielder, he shows soft hands and above-average arm strength. He does not have normal shortstop speed, but he's a solid average runner. Like most young hitters, Moore could use a little more patience at the plate. His range as a shortstop is below-average and almost certainly will prompt a move to the hot corner. Moore will begin his first full season at low Class A Michigan as a shortstop. That's a position of considerable depth in the Detroit system, but Tigers officials would rather keep him at shortstop as long as possible. They don't want to move him to the hot corner and then possibly shift him back down the road.

Minor League Top Prospects

Clevlen's teammate at Lakeland last season, Moore also struggled miserably. Given a second chance at the FSL after a February trade to the Cubs, he responded by finally showing the hitting potential that made him the eighth pick in the 2002 draft. Moore continued to show the plus power that has been his calling card, but he added a more advanced approach at the plate. He stopped trying to pull everything, which helped him cut his strikeouts and raise his average. His swing still is a little long, however. At third base, Moore showed average range and a plus arm. He did wear down and struggle with his throwing as the season went on, leading FSL third basemen with 30 errors. He has average speed and showed more basestealing aptitude than he had in the Detroit system.
Reviews were mixed on Moore, Detroit's first-round pick. While most were positive as a hitter, most managers didn't see a long-term future for him at shortstop. "He is a great hitter with good pop for his age," Crespo said. "He takes an aggressive cut and the ball really jumps off his bat." Moore's development at shortstop was interrupted by injuries. He missed two weeks with a lower-back problem and another two when he was hit on the hand by a pitch. Overall, he showed poor feet at shortstop, limited range, only an adequate arm and he an inability to read balls well off the bat. Most managers projected him as a third baseman.