{"id":5921,"date":"2012-02-03T08:15:00","date_gmt":"2012-02-03T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/?p=5921"},"modified":"2012-02-07T12:50:24","modified_gmt":"2012-02-07T18:50:24","slug":"top-50-prospects-1-matt-moore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/archives\/5921","title":{"rendered":"Top 50 Prospects: #1 – Matt Moore"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

#1 Matt Moore<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Rays<\/p>\n

DOB: 6\/18\/1989<\/p>\n

Previous Rank: 31<\/p>\n

ETA: 2011<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost impossible to earn a ranking ahead of Bryce Harper<\/a><\/strong>, but philosophically we consider a pitcher with present ace stuff and Major League opportunity to be more valuable than even a likely Hall of Fame hitter.\u00a0 Moore made considerable steps forward in 2011 in the command department and catapulted himself forward into becoming the top pitching prospect in the game.\u00a0 He then went on to make three appearances during Tampa\u2019s stretch into the postseason before tossing seven innings of two-hit baseball to open the Division Series in Arlington.\u00a0 Pretty impressive for a 22-year-old.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/th>\nAge<\/th>\nLg<\/th>\nW<\/th>\nL<\/th>\nERA<\/th>\nG<\/th>\nGS<\/th>\nIP<\/th>\nBB<\/th>\nSO<\/th>\nWHIP<\/th>\nH\/9<\/th>\nHR\/9<\/th>\nBB\/9<\/th>\nSO\/9<\/th>\nSO\/BB<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
2007<\/td>\n18<\/td>\nRk<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2.66<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n20.1<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n1.377<\/td>\n5.3<\/td>\n0.4<\/td>\n7.1<\/td>\n12.8<\/td>\n1.81<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2008<\/td>\n19<\/td>\nRk<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n1.66<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n54.1<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n77<\/td>\n0.902<\/td>\n5.0<\/td>\n0.0<\/td>\n3.1<\/td>\n12.8<\/td>\n4.05<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nA<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n3.15<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n123.0<\/td>\n70<\/td>\n176<\/td>\n1.268<\/td>\n6.3<\/td>\n0.4<\/td>\n5.1<\/td>\n12.9<\/td>\n2.51<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2010<\/td>\n21<\/td>\nA+<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n3.36<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n144.2<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n208<\/td>\n1.175<\/td>\n6.8<\/td>\n0.4<\/td>\n3.8<\/td>\n12.9<\/td>\n3.41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\n22<\/td>\nAA,AAA<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1.92<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n155.0<\/td>\n46<\/td>\n210<\/td>\n0.948<\/td>\n5.9<\/td>\n0.6<\/td>\n2.7<\/td>\n12.2<\/td>\n4.57<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\n22<\/td>\nAL<\/a><\/td>\n1<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2.89<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n9.1<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n1.286<\/td>\n8.7<\/td>\n1.0<\/td>\n2.9<\/td>\n14.5<\/td>\n5.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n
1 Season<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2.89<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n9.1<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n1.286<\/td>\n8.7<\/td>\n1.0<\/td>\n2.9<\/td>\n14.5<\/td>\n5.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
162 Game Avg.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2.89<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n158<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n255<\/td>\n1.286<\/td>\n8.7<\/td>\n1.0<\/td>\n2.9<\/td>\n14.5<\/td>\n5.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tfoot>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Moore is 6-foot-2 with extremely clean and effortless mechanics.\u00a0 His body projects, but honestly, what do we need to project here?\u00a0 Moore is the easiest 70 fastball guy in baseball.\u00a0 His secondary stuff and command are top shelf, and his makeup is championship caliber.\u00a0 His fastball reaches 97 mph.\u00a0 His breaker is a deadly downer that consistently receives double-plus grades.\u00a0 His changeup is an easy plus pitch with double-plus potential.\u00a0 His slider is new and rarely used, but it is also plus.\u00a0 Stephen Strasburg<\/a><\/strong> didn\u2019t even have four plus pitches as a 22-year-old, and he isn\u2019t a lefty.<\/p>\n

Matt Moore will challenge for a Cy Young as soon as he is given slack on the leash to grab 100 pitches per start and 32 or so starts per season.\u00a0 There is not a pitcher in the game today I would rather have signed long-term than Matt Moore.\u00a0 Not Gerrit Cole.\u00a0 Not Tim Lincecum<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Not Strasburg.\u00a0 Not Justin Verlander<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Not Clayton Kershaw<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Matt Moore will be the American League\u2019s best pitcher sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n

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