Ty Moore was taken in the 12th round by the Pirates in the 2015 draft. The left-handed hitting outfielder led the Bruins this past spring with a .342 average, while posting a .428 OBP and a .479 SLG. Moore has carried over the success to pro ball, and is off to a hot start with the West Virginia Black Bears. Through his first 12 games, he has a .370/.453/.565 line in 46 at-bats. He attributes his early success to his approach.
“I am being aggressive. I am committed to my plan,” Moore said. “On the first pitch, I am looking for a fastball middle, middle/away. I actually drive the ball better to left-center. I am not up there looking to hit home runs.”
He acknowledged that he is not going to see as many first pitch fastballs in the NY-Penn League as he did in the Pac 12, but that will not be a problem.
Moore comes across as having a very advanced approach at the plate. He hits to all fields, making good contact with the ball. He discussed his need to improve in the areas of pitch selection and pitch recognition. He is a product of having received exceptional coaching. His dad, Roger, who played college baseball, was the most influential on him he explained.
“It’s probably cliché, but my dad was my best coach and coached me up until I was 13,” Moore said. His dad stopped coaching him at that point to get him exposed to other coaching.
Moore, who is from Mission Viejo, California, went on to play his high school ball at Mater Dei, which is nationally known for its athletics. He won numerous awards and was named Gatorade California State Player of the Year his senior season. It wasn’t just at the plated where Moore excelled, he was dominant on the mound as well posting a 0.83 ERA. Though he was drafted in the 25th round by the Yankees coming out of high school, he chose to go to UCLA as a two-way player. He said that was the original plan. However, pitching was not to be in the cards for him.
“When I got to UCLA, they were loaded with pitching, so Coach just made me an outfielder,” Moore said.
He joked that if the hitting didn’t work out, he could always give pitching a try. Of course, he wouldn’t be opposed to getting time on the mound while he’s a hitter.
“I would still love to pitch,” he said with a laugh.
Moore comes across as extremely intelligent and self-aware. He is exceptionally cordial, articulate and genuinely enjoys analyzing the different aspects of the game. This was on display when he discussed his summer baseball experience.
“Coach Schiffner [manager of the Chatham Anglers] got the most out of us,” Moore said. “His was more of a mental approach. He did not try to make mechanical adjustments, which I liked. He was positive; straight up.”
Moore, who will be 22 in July, appears to be quite seasoned already.
Defensively, he has been solid thus far with the Bears. He was a left fielder at UCLA and that is where he has been playing currently. He does not have a bazooka for an arm, nor is he a speedster having stolen just 9 bases in 18 attempts during his career at UCLA. He has just one unsuccessful attempted steal so far with the Bears. However, what he can do is hit. This will be the best part of his game.
Moore was a teammate of second round pick, Kevin Kramer (UCLA) and he grew up playing ball with and against Mitchell Tolman (7th round pick out of Oregon), who he said lived right across town. Having both players on the same team gives him an easy transition into pro ball.
Look for Ty Moore to have a successful year at the plate and to continue his development. Of course, his ultimate goal is to be playing at PNC. If he does get there, the Pirates will have one smart player on their hands.
