Stanford catcher Malcolm Moore was selected by the Texas Rangers with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. A sophomore at Stanford in 2024, Moore still has remaining eligibility and could choose to return to college if he decides not to sign with the Rangers. 

Otherwise, he will embark on his professional career by signing a contract and starting his journey through the minor league system.

Known for his prowess behind the plate, Moore is recognized as a solid defender with a strong batting ability. Over his two seasons at Stanford, he maintained a .288 batting average across 118 games. 

In the 2024 season, his average and power slightly decreased with fewer doubles and games played, but he improved in drawing walks, reduced strikeouts, and even hit one additional home run, bringing his total to 31 over his tenure with the Cardinal.

Moore also enhanced his prowess in defending the base paths from behind home plate, successfully throwing out 22 of 51 runners attempting to steal second base against him this season.

A left-handed hitter, Moore was highly regarded as one of the top hitting prospects during the 2022 draft out of high school, opting instead to attend Stanford. According to his MLB.com scouting report, there is confidence that Moore has the potential to fulfill his promise as a Major League hitter.

“There is still confidence that Moore will hit at the next level,” the report said. “He makes a lot of hard contact to all fields and has easily plus raw power he showed he can tap into with 15 home runs as a freshman. He’s shown he can have an advanced approach at the plate, including doing damage with two strikes, though he wore out catching every day in his first year of college. While his surface numbers were down for much of his sophomore season, he still had elite chase rates and swing-and-miss rates in the zone.”

And Moore, who is the No. 26 overall prospect in the draft according to MLB.com, would potentially be even more sought-after if he had a bit more defensive upside.

“If teams think he can be an average catcher, he could easily be considered a top 10 pick, but scouts aren’t quite as convinced on his glove as they are on his bat,” the scouting report said. “He’s not a bad receiver and moves decently enough, with some scouts seeing improvement behind the dish this spring. He’ll flash an average arm, but it’s often more fringy, though some of that can be cleaned up with improved footwork. Even if a team thinks he’ll need to move to first base, his offensive potential could make him a first-rounder.”