Tuesday, June 17

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers’ catching room in Spring Training was flowing with veteran presence, including the current big league tandem of Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka; two-time Gold Glove Award winner Tucker Barnhart; and Chad Wallach, with seven years of MLB experience to his name. 

Floating around in the big league clubhouse was also 21-year-old Malcolm Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect in the MLB Pipeline rankings. 

“I think it has been good for him,” big league catchers coach Bobby Wilson said during Spring Training. “He's always been a big fish in a little pond. Being with veteran guys, it's checks and balances, right? Those guys are going to bust his chops a little bit. That's part of being a younger player. But he can handle that. 

“It just promotes growth even faster. This level is very different, but he’s embraced that. He’s shown up every day with an open mind. His main development is going to be on the defensive side. His receiving is getting better. His setups are getting better. He's in a really good spot for a young kid.”

The Rangers’ 2024 first-round Draft pick, Moore has just started his first full year of pro ball by repeating the High-A level with the Hub City Spartanburgers. Through his first nine games, he is batting .267 and has a .463 on-base percentage as he continues to acclimate to pro ball. He hit his first home run of the year on Tuesday.

Moore played just 25 games with High-A Hickory after the Draft last season, and posted a slash line of .209/.298/.374. 

Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker noted during Spring Training that it’s difficult to evaluate college players in the first year of pro ball, when many of them go directly from the NCAA postseason right to an affiliate in a matter of weeks. 

“Malcolm really worked on a lot of different things,” Fenstermaker said. “His receiving and throwing to bases have improved immensely. I know those were a point of emphasis for him. We believe in the offensive profile and some of the intangibles and leadership that he brings.”

Moore's offensive profile has been his calling card since he was a high school prospect. Though he hasn’t yet displayed it in pro ball, he has the ability to hit for both average and power, while also maintaining a good feel for the strike zone.

More notably, Moore impressed the catching group in big league camp this spring, and the Rangers are confident in his ability to stick at the position, despite pre-Draft concerns about his defensive abilities.

“It's always nice when the organization trusts in the process,” Wilson said. “They've seen the process work. We can get this guy to where we need him. I believe it. I'm confident in the process and the program. Like I said, it's been easy because he's bought into it. From what I've seen thus far, there's little things we clean up, but it's just going to continue to get better for Malcolm.”

Back in Spring Training, Moore said that he felt like being around those big leaguers was going to pay dividends for him in the long run. Being around catchers like Heim and Higashioka and a coach like Wilson has helped him with everything from his setup and glove transfer to pitcher-catcher communication.  

He was happy to make a good impression in his short time in big league camp, but he wants to just get better each and every day throughout the regular season, as well. 

“I feel like you just get better when you're around people that are better,” Moore said. “Catching all these big league guys and seeing the way that they go about their work, day in, day out, it's really cool to see. Just being around all those guys, big names like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, that was awesome. Being around them makes you a better catcher.”

On Tuesday, Major League Baseball and the Rangers honored the legacy of Jackie Robinson. 

Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, breaking baseball’s color barrier. MLB formally established April 15 as the annual Jackie Robinson Day in 2004.

Student athletes from the Texas Rangers Youth Academy wore commemorative 42 jerseys and lined up on the field during the national anthem. In addition, the Rangers hosted various city and community leaders for their game against the Angels. 

“We're honoring a guy that impacted not only the game, but society with what he did,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy. “He broke barriers and made it a better game, a better society. You have somebody in your sport that did what this man did, and the way he handled it and how he went through it -- I think it is important for us to celebrate that.”

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