Robert Moore
 |
| MiLB.com |
Age: 21
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Switch/Right
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas
Draft Profile: Competitive Balance Pick, 72nd pick of the 2022 draft by Milwaukee
Drafted Out of: Arkansas University
Career Stat Line: .217 AVG .316 OBP 5 HR 22 RBI 11 SB 0.967 Fielding %
All the way from the heart of Leawood, Kansas comes this week's Minor League Spotlight: second baseman Robert Moore. As the son of Royals' general manager Dayton Moore, Robert's spent majority of his young life fully immersed in the world of baseball. By a beautiful twist of fate, he's been able to turn the sport into a career of his own.
But his journey to professional ball was not one he nepotized his way into. Moore worked hard from an early age to master his craft, earning his way onto the 12U USA Baseball team in 2014. Playing alongside future first round picks (and former featured Minor League Spotlights) Pete Crow-Armstrong and Carson Tucker, the kid stroked a cool .423/1/7 (MLBstatic), as the team took home silver after falling to Nicaragua in the championship.
Robert was back on the international scene three years later, looking to avenge their title game defeat. The US U-15 team was successful overall in this mission, going 7-1 in the tournament before the gold medal game versus the Dominican Republic was cancelled, resulting in a co-championship. The increase in competition made for a tougher go at the plate for Moore, as he only hit .192 with 6 RBI, but he provided valuable work in the field, leading the team in infield assists.
He'd ride that glove all the way to the top of the Kansas state rankings by the end of his career at Shawnee Mission East High School, developing the reputation of an elite defender (247Sports). He hit .314 over the three years he played varsity for the Lancers, knocking two out of the park and accruing 17 RBI (MaxPreps).
While on his prep ball journey, Moore was invited to the 2019 Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego. He only registered one official at bat in the game, going 0-1 with a critical RBI that helped lead the West to a 4-2 victory. The experience helped put him on the map for collegiate and pro scouts.
Just months before the COVID outbreak, Robert's hard work in the classroom during his early years of high school allowed him to graduate a semester early and enroll at the University of Arkansas for the 2020 season (247Sports). He was named a preseason 1st Team underclass All-American before ever playing an inning for the Razorbacks, automatically lending some hype to then 17-year old.
He played just 16 games in his shortened freshman campaign, producing a respectable .318/2/17 stat line (Baseball Reference). As a sophomore, he shined even brighter, connecting with 16 home runs and knocking in 53 as he began to work his way up pro draft boards. Unfortunately, his junior season was less fruitful, with regressions in his average and power at the dish.
This lack of production didn't deter Moore from entering the MLB Amateur Draft after his junior year for Arkansas. Draft weekend rolled around and the wait was on. The first round passed, as did the second, but then came pick #72 in the competitive balance round. The selection belonged to the Milwaukee Brewers, who were enamored by Robert's strong work in the field and potential at the plate. The Brew Crew made the Kansas Kid their pick, signed him to an $800,000 bonus (Wikipedia), and sent him down to Arizona to begin his professional career.
Moore's stint in the ACL was a brief one, only lasting four games before a promotion to the Low-A Carolina Mudcats. During the short season as a whole, he ripped a .248/3/16 line while fielding at a .957% clip (MiLB.com). Nothing crazy, but certainly proved he could hang with the increased skill level.
His winter was a unique one though. Instead of participating in team and individual trainings, the Brewers assigned their second round pick to the Australian Baseball League, where he played forty games for the Brisbane Bandits. While Down Under, improvements in his average and power were seen; which Milwaukee hoped would translate to the diamond when he was back in the States.
 |
| Twitter/ @__robertmoore_ |
So far, 2023 hasn't quite lived up to those expectations. He's batting just .171 and striking out at a slightly higher rate than we've seen previously, but has only made one error on the year holding down the middle infield for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The productivity at the plate has left something to be desired, but the kid can flash some leather, which'll always have him employed. When his bat does pick up though, look out for Robert Moore.
------
@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
Comments
Post a Comment