Los Angeles Angels recall former 1st round pick Christian Moore from Bees
Jun 19, 2026, 11:01 AM | Updated: Jun 22, 2026, 10:14 am
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Christian Moore #4 of the Los Angeles Angels on field against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 26, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – Christian Moore’s torrid June at Triple-A Salt Lake made his promotion to the big leagues impossible to ignore.
The Los Angeles Angels recalled their 2024 first-round selection from the Salt Lake Bees, filling the roster spot opened when the club placed former MVP Mike Trout on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
Primarily an infielder, Moore is expected to help fill the Angels’ outfield need by playing left field. He played nine games in left for the Bees this season.
The former Tennessee slugger, 2024 first-round pick, and College World Series champion has brought loud power at every stop, from Knoxville to Rocket City to Salt Lake, and now gets another chance to show whether that bat can help an Angels lineup searching for healthy production.
RELATED: Angels’ former first-round selection makes strong first impression with Salt Lake Bees
CMO to The Show
Moore gets recalled by the @Angels after batting .474 in the month of June pic.twitter.com/VPiiDIFjOs
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) June 19, 2026
After watching now-Angels teammate Denzer Guzman light up PCL pitching to earn Player of the Month recognition in May, Moore took over as the league’s hottest hitter following Guzman’s June 8 promotion to Los Angeles.
Ten days later, Moore rejoined Guzman, this time at the highest level.
In 14 June games with Salt Lake, Moore slashed .474/.563/.860. His 1.423 OPS trailed only Guzman’s 1.474 mark in five games, while his 23 RBI led the PCL for the month. Moore also added six home runs and went 5-for-5 on stolen-base attempts.
CMO DOES IT AGAIN
Christian Moore extends the lead with his sixth home run of June and second multi-homer performance in his last four games. pic.twitter.com/9wuzxizYmw
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) June 17, 2026
Expand the sample a bit further, and the 23-year-old is hitting .341 over his past 20 games.
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Christian Moore bounces back from a slow 2026 start
Moore entered spring training with his eyes on the Angels’ starting second base job, but did not break camp with the major-league club.
Assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake, Moore’s batting average dipped to .182 after an 0-for-5 performance to close a series against Sugar Land.
Two days later, the turnaround started in Las Vegas, where Moore homered, tripled, and drove in three runs.
He went on to hit safely in 15 of his next 17 games, raising his average more than 100 points to .294.
The most encouraging sign, though, has been his improved approach at the plate.
After striking out in 33.7 percent of his MLB plate appearances in 2025, Moore has punched out in just 21.4 percent of his 2026 plate appearances for Salt Lake, well within the league-average range of 20 to 23 percent.
Christian Moore leads off tonight’s Salt Lake Bees game with ANOTHER long ball and it feels like he’s banging down the door in Anaheim pic.twitter.com/ji3ldFmLEJ https://t.co/g2YOngjAfk
— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) June 17, 2026
Moore struck out 54 times before his promotion, while his 49 walks ranked second in the PCL.
If his newfound plate discipline remains, Moore could become a mainstay in the Angels’ ever-evolving lineup.
Moore brings power, punchouts in first MLB opportunity
Less than a year after becoming the Angels’ top pick, Moore was in the Angels’ lineup as they prepared to face the Baltimore Orioles on June 13, 2025.
Moore’s best day at the plate as a big leaguer came 11 days later against the Boston Red Sox. His eighth-inning solo shot tied the game at one and forced extra innings.
In the 10th, Moore stepped to the plate against Boston left-hander Justin Wilson.
With one out and the automatic runner on second, Moore laced a 1-1 pitch to right-center at 108 mph. The line drive carried over the fence and caromed off the Angel Stadium scoreboard for a two-run walk-off blast.
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Still, Moore appeared overmatched at times in 18 games before being sent back to Salt Lake. During that first stint, he slashed .189/.302/.396 with three homers and eight runs driven in.
A month later, Moore was back in the Angels’ lineup.
Strikeouts remained an issue. Moore punched out 21 times in 21 games during his second stint while hitting .200.
He was sent down again in late August, then returned in mid-September to finish the year.
While the power stroke remained, Moore’s swing-and-miss concerns followed him at the big-league level.
He ended the season with seven homers and 16 runs driven in, but finished with a .198 average in 162 at-bats.
About Christian Moore
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Moore starred as a two-way player at Suffield Academy in Connecticut. A four-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American, he left Suffield as the No. 91 prospect in the country and the fifth-best prospect out of New York, according to Perfect Game.
Showing an uncommon loyalty, Moore committed to the University of Tennessee as a high school freshman.
“Coach Vitello and Coach Elander, we really clicked,” Moore said of his decision to sign with the Vols. “Coach E was the main person reaching out, and he was consistent. When I toured there, Tennessee wasn’t the Tennessee they are now… I just saw something. I saw myself fitting in.”
Moore posted standout offensive numbers at Tennessee, slashing .338/.447/.697 with 35 doubles, 160 RBI, and a program-record 61 home runs. He launched 34 homers as a junior, finishing third in the country.
In 2024, Moore earned first-team All-SEC honors and first-team All-America recognition from Perfect Game, Baseball America, D1Baseball.com, and the NCBWA. He was also named NCBWA District 3 Player of the Year during the regular season.
He was also named to the Men’s College World Series All-Tournament Team (2B) for the College World Series-winning Volunteers.
The Angels took notice, selecting Moore with the eighth pick of the 2024 MLB draft.
Two games with the Angels’ Single-A affiliate were enough to earn his first professional promotion to Double-A Rocket City.
Moore finished 2024 with the Trash Pandas, playing 23 games. He hit .322 with four doubles, five homers, and 14 RBI.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
