Christian Moore turned the very best drafted Tennessee baseball participant within the Tony Vitello period on Sunday.
Moore was chosen eighth total by the Los Angeles Angles within the first spherical of the 2024 MLB Draft to set a brand new bar underneath Vitello.
The Vols second baseman is the Vols' fifth first-round decide since Vitello was employed and third first-round hitter. Within the 2022 MLB Draft, outfielders Drew Gilbert and Jordan Beck had been chosen twenty eighth total by the Houston Astros and thirty eighth total by the Colorado Rockies. Chase Dollander was beforehand the highest participant drafted underneath Vitello because the ninth decide of the Colorado Rockies in 2023. Garrett Crochet was chosen eleventh total by the Chicago White Sox in 2020.
With Moore and Dollander, UT made the highest 10 in two consecutive MLB drafts for the primary time within the fashionable period. Moore is the very best drafted Vol since Nick Senzel was chosen No. 2 by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016.
Christian Moore was chosen by the Los Angeles Angles within the 2024 MLB Draft
Moore had among the finest seasons in Tennessee historical past in 2024. The junior second baseman hit a program report 34 homers whereas tying a profession excessive with 61.
The Brooklyn native hit .375 with 74 RBIs, which ranks seventh in a single season in Vols historical past. He had 19 doubles and two triples. Moore hit for the cycle in Tennessee's opening recreation of the School World Collection, going 5-for-6 with a pair of doubles, a triple and a 440-foot homer in a 12-11 win. He had a three-homer recreation to steer UT to a sequence win at Kentucky in April.
The 6-foot-1, 216-pound Moore earned a number of first-team All-American honors throughout his historic season.
Christian Moore is throughout Tennessee within the baseball report books
Moore is sixth in UT historical past with 160 RBIs and third in slugging proportion at .697. He additionally has the third most extra-base hits with 100, whereas he’s fifth with 115 walks and fourth with 179 runs.
His 55 extra-base hits in 2024 are essentially the most in a season, as are his 236 whole bases. His 111 hits are second-most, his 83 runs are third, and his 74 RBIs are seventh-most in a season. He ranks sixth in single-season slugging proportion after hitting .697 in 2024.
Moore hit .304 with 17 dwelling runs and 50 RBI as a sophomore. He had a giant efficiency throughout the Clemson Regional to assist push Tennessee to a spot within the School World Collection.
He was a gentle performer as a freshman, enjoying in 51 video games and making 29 begins on Tennessee's standout 2022 crew. He hit .305 with 10 homers and 36 RBI in 118 at-bats.
Mike Wilson covers College of Tennessee athletics. E-mail him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and comply with him on Twitter @By MikeWilson. In case you get pleasure from Mike's protection, take into account a digital subscription that provides you entry to all the things
