FORT WORTH, Texas — The 2024 MLB Draft is underway in Fort Worth, Texas, at the city's historic stockyards. For most draft picks, the teams they are drafted to are hundreds of miles away.
For Malcolm Moore, his future team is just a 24-minute drive down I-30.
The Texas Rangers, who are currently hosting this year's 2024 All-Star Week festivities, drafted Moore with the 30th pick in the draft.
Before the draft, Moore was a sophomore catcher for Stanford. He's a native of Sacramento, California and attended C.K. McClatchy High School.
Fans of the Texas Longhorns may remember Moore as a freshman on the team that eliminated Texas from competing in the 2023 College World Series.
As a freshman, Moore was a break-out star. He started his career with the Stanford Cardinals as a starting catcher. In the team's opening series against Cal State Fullerton, he hammered in three home runs and five RBIs. In 257 at-bats, he earned 63 RBIs and 50 runs on a .311 average.
Though his batting average slipped to .255 in his sophomore season, his on-base percentage jumped from .386 to .414.
When will Malcolm Moore be able to suit up for the Rangers?
Unlike the NFL or NBA, MLB draft picks can suit up for their respective teams immediately. Though, it's rare for a pick to be called up to the majors right out of the draft.
It's much more likely Moore will spend two or three years developing with the Texas Rangers minor league affiliates.
Since the MLB Draft's inception in 1965, only 23 players have gone straight to The Show without playing in the minor leagues.
