Matt Moore

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #1 prospect in 2012
  After leading the minors in strikeouts in 2009 and 2010, Moore brought even more to the table in 2011. He went a combined 12-3, 1.92 between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, threw a no-hitter in June and pitched a perfect inning in the Futures Game. He finished second in the minors in ERA, strikeouts (a career high 210) and opponent average (.184). Moore then distinguished himself further following a September callup. He won his first major league start with five shutout innings at Yankee Stadium, then two-hit the Rangers over seven shutout innings to win the opening game of the American League Division Series. Not bad for an eighth-round pick out of a New Mexico high school who signed for $115,000 in 2007. Moore was the top prep prospect in a state that's not heavily scouted, and he fell through the cracks. There's no question that Moore is the top pitching prospect in baseball. He reported to Double-A in April as equal parts thrower and pitcher before refining his mechanics and improving the quality of his secondary offerings. Moore has displayed an electric arm with easy action since he signed with the Rays. His fastball sits at 93-95 mph and touches 97 when he reaches back for a little extra. He has significantly upgraded his fastball command and now pounds the lower reaches of the strike zone on both sides of the plate. His curveball is also a plus-plus pitch, especially when he keeps his fingers above the ball and creates sharp, quick break and late bite. When he didn't stay on top of his curve at the Futures Game, it morphed into a nasty 86-87 mph slider. Moore gained a better feel in 2011 for his changeup, a pitch he throws with good arm speed to create deception and fade. His changeup is often a plus pitch and allows him to control opponents' bat speed and work deeper into games. Moore's an intelligent pitcher with tremendous mound presence, and he wasn't bothered by the challenges Tampa Bay presented him with during his taste of the big leagues. He controls the running game well, as only eight of 14 basestealers succeeded against him in 2011. With above-average or better grades in every facet of his game, Moore is an ace waiting to happen. Scouts say he has better pure stuff than David Price, whom the Rays selected 244 picks ahead of him in the 2007 draft. Moore doesn't have anything left to prove in the minors, where he has gone 28-21, 2.64 with 700 strikeouts in 497 innings. Despite his minimal big league experience, the Rays locked him up for the long term in December, giving him a five-year, $14 million contract that includes another $26 million in options for 2017-19.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #2 prospect in 2011
  Moore has led the minors in strikeouts in each of the past two seasons. He battled his control at the beginning of 2010, going 0-7, 6.63 in his first 11 starts, then got back on track and allowed just 14 earned runs in his final 15 starts. Rated as the top prospect in the high Class A Florida State League, he finished with 208 strikeouts, the most in the minors since Clint Nageotte had 214 in 2002. Moore has an electric arm with hard, late life on his 92-96 mph fastball. He has an easy arm action and uses the same stroke to throw a late-breaking curveball that dives on hitters. His changeup also has the makings of a plus pitch, though he needs to throw it more often. The Rays loved how Moore responded to adversity. With the help of Charlotte pitching coach Neil Allen, he changed his grip to put his thumb more under the ball, enabling him to keep his pitches down in the zone. Though he quieted his delivery during the second half, his mechanics still got out of sync on occasion. His command needs refinement, though his wildness also can keep hitters off balance. Moore will open 2011 as a 21-year-old in Double-A. While he requires some fine-tuning, he has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter in the major leagues.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #4 prospect in 2010
  Stolen in the eighth round of the 2007 draft and signed for $115,000, Moore keeps getting better. After leading all pitchers in short-season leagues in strikeouts per innings (12.8) and opponent average (.154) in 2008, he topped the minors in the same categories (12.9 K/9, .195 average) as well as strikeouts (176) in his first taste of full-season ball last year. Moore's 90-92 mph fastball touches 94 and has impressive movement. His hard, late-breaking curveball generates awkward swings and misses. He does a great job of keeping his pitches, including a changeup with screwball-like action, down in the strike zone. He made impressive strides last year in his ability to reduce his pitch counts and work out of jams. Overall control and command of the strike zone is all Moore needs to become one of the premier prospects in the minors. He walked 33 batters in his first 35 innings last season before recovering. His changeup could use some more fade. He can work both sides of the plate with more consistency. If Moore can locate his pitches better, he can be a frontline starter. Only 19, he's headed to high Class A and the Rays may not be able to hold him back much longer.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #6 prospect in 2009
  The Rays have excelled at finding quality arms in the middle rounds, with Moore serving as the latest example. An eighth-round pick in 2007 who signed for $115,000, he repeated the Appalachian League in 2008 and rated as the circuit's top pitching prospect. He fell one-third of an inning shy of qualifying for the league ERA title (1.66) and led all starters in short-season leagues in strikeouts per nine innings (12.8) and opponent batting average (.154). Moore's easy delivery produces a 92-95 mph fastball that has added velocity in the past year. He also throws a tight, late-breaking curveball that was virtually unhittable in the Appy League. Control was an issue in his debut, but he did a much better job of throwing strikes in 2008. His competitiveness gives him another advantage. After Moore improved his control, there isn't much not to like. His changeup has almost a screwball effect in the way it runs away from righthanders, but it still lacks consistency. He still needs to prove himself against much more advanced hitters. The Rays may be loaded with starters in the majors, but Moore has the upside to eventually fit in near the top of the rotation. At least three years away from Tampa Bay, he'll headline a young Bowling Green staff in 2009.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #1 prospect in 2011
  After dominating the Double-A Southern League for 3 1⁄2 months, the minors' two-time defending strikeout champ jumped to Durham for a new challenge. Moore didn't find it, striking out 13 in eight scoreless innings of his second start. He gave up eight runs in nine starts and averaged 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Moore throws an explosive fastball that sits at 94-96 mph and touches 97 with regularity. It's not only the velocity that makes his heater special, but also his ability to locate it on both sides of the plate. He mixes in a well above-average curveball that gives him a second swing-and-miss pitch. Moore also has a plus changeup, a pitch he had neglected in previous years but now has the confidence to throw in any count. Once he stopped trying to throw hard, his command and control took off thanks to a smooth and easy delivery. "His presence on the mound sets him apart," Toledo manager Phil Nevin said. "He's got the poise, the control. He oozed confidence out there."
• 
  Ranked Southern League #1 prospect in 2011
  After winning back-to-back minor league strikeout titles, Moore ranked second in the minors with 210 whiffs this year and cemented his case as baseball's top pitching prospect. Moore has a smooth delivery and easy arm action that allows him to pitch at 92-95 mph and touch 97. His curveball is a power breaker in the low 80s with quick, late bite, a plus-plus putaway pitch against lefties and righties.Moore had shown feel for his changeup in the past, but it accelerated quickly for him this year with an increased emphasis on the pitch. His changeup is now more consistently a plus offering that he throws with good arm speed, deception and fade. While throwing strikes was an issue for him early in his career, he improved in that area as well. "You wonder what is this guy even doing in this league," Mobile manager Turner Ward said. "He just didn't belong.
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #1 prospect in 2010
  When Moore is locked in, like he was in the second half of the season, he's nearly unhittable. On his best nights, he features a 91-96 mph fastball and a power curveball that both rate as 70s on the 20-80 scouting scale. That combination allowed Moore to strike out 208 batters in 145 innings, more whiffs than any minor league pitcher since Clint Nageotte had 214 eight years ago. "His stuff just jumps out at you," Dunedin manager Clayton McCullough said. "To see a lefthander with that kind of arm and multiple swing-and-miss pitches? Any lefty who can throw in the low to mid-90s and hold that velocity is impressive." Moore has difficulty repeating his delivery--a major problem in the first half of the season, when he went 1-7, 6.08--which causes his control to waver. His arm sometimes gets ahead of his legs and he doesn't always finish in the same landing spot, but there's nothing in his mechanics that would indicate future health issues. He needs to throw his changeup more to develop it, but it's already an average pitch at times.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #3 prospect in 2009
  Moore allowed 33 walks in his first 35 innings this season. Then he focused on being more of a pitcher, cutting his walk rate to 3.8 per nine innings while going 6-3, 2.67 over the final three months. Moore has two above-average pitches, an 89-92 mph fastball that touches 94 and a tight 82-84 mph curveball with late depth. He has a deceptive fastball that jumps up on people and gets bad swings. He also throws a changeup with late screwball-like action. His three-pitch repertoire yielded a league-leading 176 strikeouts in 123 innings. If he can continue to refine his command, he profiles as a top-of-the-rotation starter.
• 
  Ranked American League #3 prospect in 2008
  Moore fell short of qualifying for (and thus winning) the ERA title by one-third of an inning, in part because Princeton had six games canceled. He showed much better control than he did in his first tour of the Appy League, cutting his walk rate from 7.1 per nine innings in 2007 to 3.1 this summer. He also led the league with 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings and didn't allow a home run. With easy 92-94 mph velocity (and the ability to touch 95) from the left side and a tight, late-breaking curveball, Moore offers true top-of-the-rotation potential. He also fine-tuned his changeup, which runs away from righthanders. Add in plus makeup and competitiveness, and Moore has established himself as one of Tampa Bay's brighter pitching prospects.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #2 prospect in 2012
• Ranked Baseball America's #15 prospect in 2011
• Ranked Baseball America's #35 prospect in 2010

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: After leading the minors in strikeouts in 2009 and 2010, Moore brought even more to the table in 2011. The southpaw went a combined 12-3, 1.92 between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, threw a nine-inning no-hitter in June and pitched a perfect inning in the Futures Game. He finished second in the race for the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year award to Mike Trout, as well as second in the minors in ERA, strikeouts (a career-high 210) and opponent average (.184). Moore then distinguished himself further following a September callup. He won his first major league start with five shutout innings at Yankees Stadium, then two-hit the Rangers over seven shutout innings to win the opening game of the American League Division Series. Not bad for an eighth-round pick out of a New Mexico high school who signed for $115,000 in 2007. Moore was the top prep prospect in a state that's not heavily scouted, and he fell through the cracks.
  
  Scouting Report: There's no question that Moore is the top pitching prospect in baseball. He reported to Double-A in April as equal parts thrower and pitcher before refining his mechanics and improving the quality of his secondary offerings. Moore has displayed an electric arm with a low-stress delivery since he signed with the Rays. His fastball sits at 93-95 mph and touches 97 when he reaches back for a little extra. He has significantly upgraded his fastball command and now pounds the lower reaches of the strike zone on both sides of the plate with consistency. His curveball is also a plus-plus pitch, especially when he keeps his fingers above the ball and creates sharp, quick break and late bite. When he didn't stay on top of his curve during his dominating inning at the Futures Game, it morphed into a nasty 86-87 mph slider. Moore gained a better feel in 2011 for his changeup, a pitch he throws with good arm speed to create deception and fade. His changeup is often a plus pitch and allows him to control opponents' bat speed and work deeper into games. Moore's an intelligent pitcher with tremendous mound presence, and he wasn't bothered by any of the challenges Tampa Bay presented him with during his brief taste of the big leagues. He even controls the running game well, as eight of 14 basestealers succeeded against him in 2011.
  
  The Future: With above-average or better grades in every facet of his game, Moore is an ace waiting to happen. Scouts say he has better pure stuff than all-star David Price, whom the Rays selected 244 picks ahead of him in the 2007 draft. Moore has nothing left to prove in the minors, where he has gone 28-21, 2.64 with 700 strikeouts and 212 walks in 497 innings. However, Tampa Bay traditionally has been conservative with young pitchers and doesn't have an obvious opening in its rotation next year. That could mean the 22-year-old Moore sees at least a little time in Durham. Regardless of where he begins the season, he's too talented to spend much more time in the minors.