Update on the Texas Rangers First Round Pick From the 2024 Draft
Professional sports teams spend millions of dollars to figure out who the "next big thing" is going to be. Football teams have turned the NFL Draft into a multi-day spectacle, the NBA has a draft lottery that gets as much coverage as the draft itself. Teams are always trying to make sure that their investments into young players will pay off for the future.
Major League Baseball is a little bit different than the NFL and NBA, because they have an entire minor league system to help players advance, train, and get better. While that means there are a lot of players who will have the chance to finally break through to a pro career, it also means there are far more players drafted by MLB teams who won't make a pro team, versus the NFL and NBA.
MLB First Round Picks Don't Go Straight To The MLB
Even first round MLB players aren't guaranteed a spot on their club's roster, unlike the other two major leagues we're talking about. It would be a pretty big story if a first round NFL draft pick didn't make their team's opening roster. Just about as big of a story it would be if a player went straight from the MLB draft stage to the MLB team's roster. Nearly all MLB draft picks have to spend some time in the minor league system.
Which brings us to last year's Texas Rangers first round draft pick, Malcolm Moore.
Moore was the Rangers' first round pick, coming in at pick #30, out of Stanford. Its safe to say Moore had an awesome experience at the draft, since it was held at the Cowtown Coliseum, a baseball throw away from the Rangers' home park.
Texas Rangers' Draft Pick Malcolm Moore's First Games
So in the year since Moore was taken in the first round by the Rangers, how has he progressed?
Bleacher Report took a look at all of the 2024 first round MLB picks to see where they are after a full year in the systems, and things don't look great for Moore. The quote from Bleacher Report is "Moore's pro career hasn't gotten off to the best of starts."
The reason they say that is Moore only hit .209 with 3 home runs in his first 25 games at A-ball last year. In 2025, Moore has dealt with a broken finger, which has led to him playing less than 20 games before July 1st. He has also had to split his time between A-ball and Rookie-ball.
Between the two teams this year, Moore is hitting .226, with 2 home runs, 10 RBIs, and 19 strikeouts. Not exactly the type of numbers the Rangers were hoping to see from a first round pick.
To be fair to Moore, he's still less than 50 games into his minor league career. He will have much more time to catch up, and work his way to the majors.