The Texas Rangers are sending 2024 1st Round Pick Malcolm Moore and 2nd Rounder Dylan Dreiling to High-A Hickory to make their pro ball debut tonight.
Moore, the 30th overall pick out of Stanford is known for his bat, not necessarily his glove. Moore slashed .288/.399/.958 in his collegiate career. Most notably has also had a keen eye at the plate, and in 2024 walked more than he struck out. I’m sure the Rangers are hoping his high exit velocity, low whiff rate and great numbers vs the Fastball will translate well to the Pros. The bat will most likely be there for the 21 year old, behind the plate is where the catcher will need the biggest improvements to get up to the big leagues.
The Rangers selected Dreiling with the 65th overall pick in the draft. I’d say getting the College World Series MVP in the late second round is quite the steal. This kid can flat out hit, hammering 23 long balls with a slash line of .342/.459/.715 for the Vols this year. But, his most eye popping stat is him hitting .398 with an OPS close to .1300 vs lefties. To get a bat like that where he’s been tested against the best Collegiate pitching and came out on top is a dream come true.
The Rangers knew what they wanted in the draft, pro-ready collegiate bats, and got them. These two bats will be immensely fun to watch throughout this year and years to come. They are two fast-paced bats that can get hot and stay hot. I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear about them early and often. Hopefully we will see these two in Frisco and Round Rock shortly, but not for too long in their journey to the bigs. Welcome Moore and Dreiling to the pros, and good luck in High-A Hickory.
