Tyler Moore Stats & Scouting Report

AB	788
AVG	.228
OBP	.278
SLG	.401
HR	30

Full name Tyler Michael Moore
Born 01/30/1987 in Brandon, MS
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mississippi State
Debut 04/29/2012
Drafted in the 16th round (481st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2008.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Power has been Moore's calling card since high school, when the Nationals drafted him in the 41st round in 2005. They took him again in the 33rd round after his freshman year at Meridian (Miss.) CC and finally signed him for $55,000 as a 16th-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2008. He and Paul Goldschmidt were the only players to reach the 30-homer plateau in the minors in each of the last two seasons. Last year, Moore topped the Eastern League in homers (31), extra-base hits (70), RBIs (90) and total bases (276), earning a spot on Washington's 40-man roster. He's country strong and has plus-plus raw power. He can hit balls out of the park from pole to pole, though he gets in trouble when he gets pull-happy, making him vulnerable against hard sliders away. When he's at his best, he'll drive those pitches to right field. He's so aggressive that he'll always have more than his share of strikeouts and never be more than a fringe-average hitter, but his premium power gives him a chance to be a valuable regular at first base. His footwork and glovework made great strides in 2011, and he as an above-average arm. With a logjam at first base between Triple-A and the majors, Washington experimented with Moore in left field. He was a pleasant surprise with his reads and routes, though he has below-average speed and range. If Chris Marrero returns as the everyday first baseman at Syracuse in 2012, Moore might see more time in the outfield there.
The Nationals drafted Moore in the 41st round out of high school and again in the 33rd round after his first year at Meridian (Miss.) CC. As a sophomore at Meridian, he led national juco players with 19 homers and ranked fourth in batting .472, and he followed up by hitting 14 homers at Mississippi State in 2008. The Nats drafted him for a third time that June and finally signed him for $55,000 in the 16th round. Moore led all Washington farmhands with 87 RBIs in his first full pro season, then won Carolina League MVP honors last year after topping the high Class A circuit in doubles (43), homers (31), RBIs (111), extra-base hits (77) and slugging percentage (.552). His 2010 was a tale of two very different halves, as he hit .197 with nine homers before the all-star break and .346 with 22 homers afterward. Moore is a very good fastball hitter who doesn't miss mistakes when he's locked in. Early in the year, he got too geared up when he saw a pitch to attack, causing him to dip his barrel and swing through or foul off the pitch. He was more direct to the ball in the second half. Moore has above-average power potential and can hit the ball hard from pole to pole. He still must prove that he's a good enough hitter to handle upper-level pitching, but the ball carries very well off his bat. Moore's strong arm led the Nationals to consider moving him behind the plate or to right field after drafting him, but he lacks the athleticism to play any position but first base. He might have playable mobility and hands there, but he needs to improve his pitch-to-pitch focus and his technique, and he'll never be a standout defender. He has well below-average speed. Moore's bat will have to carry him, but he at least has entered the conversation about Washington's first baseman of the future. He'll advance to Double-A in 2011.

Minor League Top Prospects

Moore hit a combined 17 homers in his first pro seasons before exploding for 31 at Potomac. He lead the league in doubles (43), homers, RBIs (111), extra-base hits (77) and slugging percentage (.552) to capture the Carolina League MVP award. "He adjusted, and that's what you're looking for in a young hitter," Kelly said. "That's doubly tough in this league because we see everyone so much. But with that kind of power and an ability to drive in runs that you can't teach, I think he has a bright future." Moore's game is all about strength and power. He has some holes in his swing and isn't very selective, so he probably won't ever hit for a high average. Offspeed stuff can still give him fits, though he improved significantly this year. Though he lacks speed and quickness, he's a solid defender at first base, and Cathcart said Moore has enough arm strength to play the outfield.