Give me Moore

If I posted this kids picture on Friday morning, September 30th, I wouldn't hold it against you if you had absolutely no clue who he is. Aside from the die hard fan base in Tampa and the fantasy baseball contingency, nobody would recognize that face. His name is Matt Moore and at 22 years young, he is the top prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays organization and #10 on the Baseball Prospectus top 25 list and has started 1 game in his MLB career. A single game, at Yankee stadium, in which he struck out 11 over 5 innings. Oh, he also pitched in relief at Fenway Park. So, other than getting his feet wet in the two biggest pools in MLB, he hasn't really done much. He became the first pitcher in the history of baseball to start game 1 of the playoffs with only one career start under his belt.

As impressive as all of that sounds, he was even more impressive once he stepped on the mound. He was in control of the game from the first pitch he threw until the last pitch in the 7th inning. He challenged Texas with his fastball, practically saying in the process "This is what I've got. If you can hit it, good for you. If not, then I guess I'm gonna be here a while." His fastball registered at 99 and his change up and curveball were coming in at around 85. He pitched backwards, starting hitters off with off speed pitches and blowing them away with heat. As I was watching the game I was impressed with his stuff, but I was even more impressed with his composure. His ability to control the at bat, on his terms, at his pace and with his best stuff. It was truly impressive to watch and even more impressive once I read an interview with Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach. He said about Moore's performance "I don't know that he's old enough to fully understand how these guys hit in this park. It could have played in his favor." I tend to disagree with those thoughts. I have a difficult time giving credit to sheer luck. That would lead me to believe that the guy didn't actually go out there and get guys out. I mean, if he pitched a great top of the first inning, maybe that quote by his catcher would be acceptable, but he went through that lineup three times! He forced Texas to hit his pitch and that was something they were unable to accomplish. The kid came into their house, he shoved it down their throats and on this day he was better than they were. It was the most impressive start I've seen in a playoff game since, well... since, um. Yeah, it may be the most impressive start by a rookie pitcher in my entire lifetime. Matt Moore isn't just a top prospect anymore, he's a force to be reckoned with. Just ask Texas.