| Matt Moore | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Moore with theDetroit Tigers in 2019 | |
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1989-06-18)June 18, 1989 (age 36) Fort Walton Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: September 14, 2011, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| NPB: June 23, 2020, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 71–66 |
| Earned run average | 4.39 |
| Strikeouts | 1,053 |
| NPB statistics (through 2020 season) | |
| Win-loss record | 6–3 |
| Earned run average | 2.65 |
| Strikeouts | 89 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Matthew Cody Moore[1] (born June 18, 1989) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theTampa Bay Rays,San Francisco Giants,Texas Rangers,Detroit Tigers,Philadelphia Phillies,Los Angeles Angels,Cleveland Guardians, andMiami Marlins, and inNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for theFukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Born inFort Walton Beach, Florida, Moore's family moved toOkinawa when he was seven andEdgewood, New Mexico in 2000. Although he had committed to playcollege baseball with theUniversity of New Mexico, Moore chose to sign a professional contract with the Rays after they selected him in the2007 MLB draft. He set multiple strikeout records for the Rays'farm system before making his major league debut in 2011. Moore spent two full seasons with the Rays beforeTommy John surgery caused him to miss the 2014 season. He returned in 2015, and was traded to the Giants the following year.
Moore struggled with run control in his second season with the Giants, leading theNational League inearned runs allowed, and was traded to the Rangers in the 2018 offseason. Hisearned run average (ERA) stayed high with the Rangers, and he was sent to thebullpen to focus on his technique. In 2019, the Tigers signed Moore to a one-year contract, hoping for a rebound season, but he played only two games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Moore spent one year with theJapan Series-winning Hawks before returning to the US in 2021 to play with the Phillies.
Moore was born on June 18, 1989, inFort Walton Beach, Florida.[1] When he was seven years old, his family moved toKadena Air Base inOkinawa, Japan, where his father was working on helicopters for theAir Force Special Operations Command.[2] In 2000, Moore and his family moved toEdgewood, New Mexico, where his older brother Bobby was set to begin high school.[3] Both brothers attended Moriarty High School and would practice pitching at home, on a mound in their backyard.[4]
Moore experienced agrowth spurt between his sophomore and junior year of high school, which caught the attention of college recruiters and professionalscouts. During his senior season, he helped take the Moriarty Pintos to a state runner-up title and was named Gatorade Player of the Year. Moore had committed to playcollege baseball at theUniversity of New Mexico, his brother's alma mater, before he was taken by theTampa Bay Rays ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) in the eighth round of the2007 MLB Draft.[3]
After being drafted 245th overall, Moore signed a $115,000 contract with the Rays in 2007.[2] He debuted that year with theRookiePrinceton Rays at the age of 18.[5] In his first minor league season, he had a 0–0win–loss record, a 2.66earned run average (ERA), and 29strikeouts in 8 games and20+1⁄3 innings with the Rays. In 2008, he posted a 2–2 record, 1.66 ERA, and 77 strikeouts in54+1⁄3 innings.[6] At the end of his first full season in 2008, Moore was named aBaseball America Rookie All-Star.[3]
In 2009, Moore was assigned to theSingle–ABowling Green Hot Rods for their inaugural season. He was selected to start the first game in Hot Rods history.[7] On June 8, 2009, Moore was named theSouth Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week after throwing sevenshutout innings in a 10–2 win over theAsheville Tourists.[8] He went 8–5 for the season with a 3.15 ERA in 26 starts, and led the league with 176 strikeouts in 123 innings.[7] The following year, Moore had a standout season with theHigh–ACharlotte Stone Crabs. His 208 strikeouts in144+2⁄3 innings were the most in theFlorida State League since Michael Cosgrove in 1971. Issues with pitch control, however, led to a 3.36 ERA and a 1.18walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP).[9] Mitch Lukevics, the Rays' director of minor-league operations, toldFoxSports.com that, in both 2009 and 2010, Moore was "off to a bad start, and the technique [was] not where it need[ed] to be", but he found his stride over the course of the season.[5]
Moore started the 2011 season with theDouble-AMontgomery Biscuits. On June 16, he pitched his first careerno-hitter, and the first franchise no-hitter for the Biscuits, in an 8–0 victory against theMobile BayBears.[10] That July, he pitched an inning at theXM Futures Game, retiring all three batters he faced in 11 pitches that reached up to 100 mph (160 km/h).[3] Shortly afterwards, on July 22, he was promoted to theTriple-ADurham Bulls. He went 12–3 for the season, with a 1.92 ERA in 155 innings across 27 starts. Moore's 210 strikeouts were the most of any minor league player in Rays history, breaking his own record from the previous season, and made him the first minor league pitcher to record 200 or more strikeouts in back-to-back seasons.[7]
Moore was called up to the Rays on September 11, 2011,[11] and made his MLB debut three days later, giving up a two-run home run toMatt Wieters in the eighth inning of a 6–2 loss against theBaltimore Orioles.[12] His performance recovered in time for his first major league start on September 22, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to pitch 11 strikeouts in five innings or fewer against theNew York Yankees. The Rays went on to win 15–8.[13] Moore was given the start in Game 1 of the2011 American League Division Series (ALDS) against theTexas Rangers, pitching seven shutout innings in a 9–0 victory for the Rays.[14] Moore finished his first major league season with a 1–0 record and a 2.89 ERA in9+1⁄3 innings.[15]
On December 9, 2011, the Rays signed Moore to a guaranteed five-year, $14 million contract. His signing was part of a trend within the Rays organization of offering long-term contracts to young pitchers, but his contract was the largest ever in both guaranteed dollars and potential earnings for any pitcher with less than two years of service time.[16]
Moore began with the Rays in 2012 as part of a five-player starting rotation that also includedJames Shields,David Price,Jeremy Hellickson, andJeff Niemann.[17] On June 15, Moore combined with relieversBurke Badenhop andBrandon Gomes to pitch a one-hit shutout against theMiami Marlins, winning 11–0 and breaking a three-game losing streak.[18] The Rays gave away abobblehead figure of Moore on their July 22 game against theSeattle Mariners after the pitcher went 5–1 with a 3.94 ERA in eight starts in June and July.[19] Moore finished the season with an 11–11 record, a 3.81 ERA, and 175 strikeouts in 31 appearances and177+1⁄3 innings.[15]
Returning to the Rays in 2013, Moore became the first left-handedAmerican League (AL) pitcher to begin a season with an 8–0 record at age 23 or younger sinceBabe Ruth in 1917.[20] After a strong beginning to the season, Moore began to falter, going 0–3 with a 13.86 ERA in his next three starts. He recovered in time to be named to his first everMLB All-Star Game as a replacement forYu Darvish, who suffered a strainedtrapezius.[21] At the time, Moore was tied withMax Scherzer for the most wins in the AL with 13.[22] He pitched for the AL in the fifth inning of the All-Star Game, retiringCarlos González,Yadier Molina, andTroy Tulowitzki in only nine pitches.[23] Moore left a July 28 game against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning with a sore left elbow, and was placed on the 15-daydisabled list on July 31.[24] He posted a 17–4 record and a 3.29 ERA that season in 27 appearances and150+1⁄3 innings.[15]
Elbow troubles followed Moore into 2014. He exited the mound in the middle of an April 7 game against theKansas City Royals, and realized after an afternoon throwing session that he could no longer pitch. Moore underwentTommy John surgery on April 22, 2014, to replace a partially tornulnar collateral ligament, and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.[25] In the 10 innings that he did pitch that season, Moore was 0–2 and allowed three runs.[26]
Moore began the 2015 season on the 60-day disabled list while recovering from surgery.[27] He began pitching in June, making a series of minor-league rehab assignments for Durham.[28] On June 28, 2015, rookieMatt Andriese was optioned to Durham, presumably to make room in the rotation for Moore. He returned to the Rays on July 2, 2015, giving up six hits and four runs in4+2⁄3 innings against theCleveland Indians. He struggled in his first six starts, posting an 8.78 ERA and never pitching past the fifth inning, and was optioned to Durham to focus on improvement. There, Moore recorded a 3.57 ERA in40+1⁄3 innings.[29] On August 23, he struck out 16Columbus Clippers batters, setting a franchise single-game record.[30] He was called back up to the Rays on September 2,[31] and finished the season with a 3–4 record and a 5.43 ERA in 12 starts and 63 innings.[15]
Going into the2016 MLB season, Moore was given the start for the Rays'exhibition game against theCuban national team. The Rays won 4–1 in the first visit by an MLB team to Cuba since 1999, andBarack Obama, who was in attendance, was given one of Moore's gloves.[32] He seemed to return to pre-surgery form in the early part of the season, striking out 27.1 percent of the batters he faced in April. His curveball, in particular, resulted in only five hits in 105 pitches.[33] In 21 starts and 130 innings with the Rays in 2016, Moore was 7–7 with a 4.08 ERA.[34]
On August 1, 2016, the Rays traded Moore to theSan Francisco Giants in exchange for third basemanMatt Duffy and prospectsLucius Fox and Michael Santos.[35] After reports emerged that Moore would be wearingNo. 55 with the Giants, the number he had worn with the Rays & a number that had previously belonged to pitcherTim Lincecum, Moore and the team had to quiet upset fans by saying that he would be No. 45 instead.[36]
Moore debuted with the club on August 4, giving up two runs and six walks in six innings. The Giants won 3–2 against thePhiladelphia Phillies in the10th inning.[37] That same month, on August 26, Moore came within one out of a no-hitter against theLos Angeles Dodgers, throwing seven strikeouts in8+2⁄3 innings. Dodgers shortstopCorey Seager hit asingle in the bottom of the ninth inning, and relieverSantiago Casilla came in to pitch the final out of the Giants' 4–0 win. It would have been the fifth season in a row that a member of the Giants' pitching rotation threw a no-hitter.[38] In the postseason, Moore pitched eight innings in Game 4 of the2016 National League Division Series (NLDS). Giants managerBruce Bochy pulled Moore before the final inning, and theChicago Cubs overcame a 5–2 deficit to win the game and the series.[39] Moore finished 2016 with a cumulative 13–12 record, 4.08 ERA, and 178 strikeouts in198+1⁄3 innings.[15]
The2017 season proved to be the worst of Moore's career. He went 6–15 with a career high 5.52 ERA in174+1⁄3 innings and 31 starts, gave up 27 home runs, and led theNational League in earned runs allowed with 107.[40] In addition to having the worst ERA among MLB pitchers with at least 162 innings, left-handed batters hit a .373batting average against him, the highest in the league, and his allowance of 80 extra-base hits was the second-highest in the NL. Moore attributed some of his troubles to an over-reliance on hiscut fastball, which he threw more that season than his other pitches.[41]
On December 15, 2017, the Giants traded Moore to the Texas Rangers in exchange for pitching prospectsSam Wolff and Israel Cruz.[42] After feeling discomfort in his knee duringspring training, Moore was placed on the 10-day disabled list on May 19, 2018. At the time, he was 1–5 with a 7.99 ERA in 10 games with the Rangers.[43] He continued to struggle upon his return, carrying a 7.88 ERA by mid-June, and was moved to thebullpen to focus on improving his pitching technique. ProspectYohander Mendez took Moore's place in the Rangers' starting rotation.[44] He finished the season with a 3–8 record, a 6.79 ERA, and 86 strikeouts in 39 games and 102 innings with the Rangers.[15] Moore's contract lapsed at the end of the 2018 season, leaving him afree agent.[45]
On December 4, 2018, the Detroit Tigers signed Moore to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in anticipation that he would followMike Fiers as a low-risk pitcher heading into a rebound season.[46] On April 6, 2019, however, in only his second start of the season, Moore exited the mound three innings into a game against theKansas City Royals, having sprained his right knee while attempting to field abunt from Royals batterBilly Hamilton.[47] He underwentmeniscus surgery on April 14, and three days later, Tigers managerRon Gardenhire announced that Moore would miss the rest of the MLB season.[48] Prior to his injury, Moore pitched ten shutout innings for the Tigers.[49]
On December 26, 2019, Moore signed a one-year,US$3.5 million (¥384,000,000) contract with theFukuoka SoftBank Hawks ofNippon Professional Baseball (NPB), who were looking to rebuild their pitching rotation after losingAriel Miranda andRobert Suárez.[50][51] He was part of a six-man rotation for the Hawks, who won thePacific League by 14 games.[52] Moore pitched seven shutout innings, including five strikeouts, in Game 3 of the2020 Japan Series, and the Hawks came within one out of a combined no-hitter in their 4–0 victory over theYomiuri Giants.[53] He finished the season with a 2.65 ERA in 15 starts with the Hawks.[54] Because professional baseball returned to play in Japan earlier than in the US, Moore was able to pitch 85 innings in 2020, one more than MLB season leaderLance Lynn.[55]
On February 3, 2021, Moore signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Phillies. He was the first left-handed starting pitcher to begin a season with the Phillies sinceCole Hamels in 2015.[52] In his first three starts with the Phillies, Moore pitched to a 9.82 ERA, with nine walks in only 11 innings.[56] His poor performance, coupled with time spent on the COVID-19 protocol list, led to his removal from the starting rotation and replacement with veteran Phillies pitcherVince Velasquez.[57] Back spasms caused Moore to miss over a month of pitching, from May 20 to June 25, at which point he was reactivated to start the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets.[58] On July 16, in the first game of a doubleheader against theMiami Marlins, Moore struck out nine batters in4+1⁄3 innings; it was the first time that he had fanned that many since 2017, in a game against theWashington Nationals.[59] Despite struggles in recent starts, Phillies managerJoe Girardi gave Moore a start against theCincinnati Reds on August 11. Moore no-hit the Reds through 6 innings, throwing only 76 pitches while walking 2, but was removed in the 7th. The combined no-hit bid ended in the 8th whenArchie Bradley gave up a solo homerun toTyler Stephenson. Moore would however earn the win as the Phillies won the game 6–1.[60] Moore finished the 2021 season with a 2–4 record and a 6.29 ERA.
On March 14, 2022, Moore signed a minor league contract with the Rangers.[61] He opened the 2022 season with theRound Rock Express, and Texas selected his contract to the active roster on April 16.[62] Moore spent the 2022 season as a reliever and excelled in the new role, posting a 5–2 record with a 1.95 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 74 innings in 63 appearances.[63]
On February 16, 2023, Moore signed a 1-year deal with theLos Angeles Angels worth $7.55 million.[64] In 41 appearances for the Angels, he logged a 2.66 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 44.0 innings of work. He was placed on waivers by the team on August 29.[65]
On August 31, 2023, theCleveland Guardians claimed Moore off waivers.[66] In 5 games for the Guardians, Moore registered a 3.86 ERA with 8 strikeouts in4+2⁄3 innings of work.
On September 19, 2023, Moore was claimed off waivers by theMiami Marlins.[67] He made three scoreless appearances for Miami before he wasdesignated for assignment on October 1.[68] On October 5, Moore elected free agency.[69]
On January 27, 2024, Moore signed a one-year, $9 million contract to return to theLos Angeles Angels.[70] He made 51 appearances for the Angels, compiling a 5–3 record and 5.03 ERA with 41 strikeouts across48+1⁄3 innings pitched. On August 27, Moore was placed on the injured list with left elbow soreness.[71] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on September 10, ending his season.[72]
On February 20, 2025, Moore signed a minor league contract with theBoston Red Sox.[73] He was assigned to the Triple-AWorcester Red Sox to begin the year, but did not make an appearance due to arm soreness. Moore was released by the Red Sox organization on April 10.[74]
Early in his career,sports journalists predicted that Moore would become the Rays'ace because of his strong pitch repertoire and velocity.[75]Baseball America andKeith Law ofESPN both ranked Moore second among all 2012 prospects, behindBryce Harper,[76][77] whileMLB.com placed him in the third slot, behind Harper andMike Trout.[78] After returning from Tommy John surgery, however, Moore struggled with his pitch velocity and control, giving up large numbers of earned runs as he threw balls at hittable speeds andstrike zone locations.[79] His time in the NPB showed an improved performance, and Phillies managerJoe Girardi was keen to sign Moore in the hopes that he would add depth to the back end of the Phillies' starting rotation, serving as a player who has "pitched in tough situations" and could contend with acesAaron Nola andZack Wheeler.[80]
Moore utilizes a four-pitch repertoire consisting of a 92 mph (148 km/h)four-seam fastball, an 83 mph (134 km/h)changeup, an 80 mph (130 km/h)curveball, and an 89 mph (143 km/h) cut fastball.[81] He and relieverDellin Betances are known for having a unique grip on their four-seam fastball, in which they tuck their thumb under the ball, which some sports journalists and fellow pitchers believe negatively impacts their pitch control.[82] Moore's most consistent flaw has been his walk total; in 2013, his best season statistically, he walked 76 batters in 150 innings.[83]
In the offseason, Moore lives with his wife Anna, a labor and delivery nurse, and their son inScottsdale, Arizona.[84] Their son was born in February 2019 in Tampa.[85]
Moore isCatholic. He has a tattoo on his left shoulder ofSaint Michael, his sponsor saint at hisConfirmation.[86]
