Player Profile: Brandon Moore

      
     Brandon Moore is a 6’2” 228 lb. Sophomore from the University of Arkansas. This Christian gentleman appeared in 29 games for the Razorbacks. He pitched a total of 81.1 innings, finishing off his spring with a 5 -2 record and a 2.43 ERA. He struck out 36 and only walked 11. He tallied 3 saves and posted an extremely impressive 0.95 WHIP. He has appeared in 9 games for Bourne, recording 21 strikeouts in 22 innings-pitched. Due to a few bad outings his ERA is at 5.73 and he has a 1.54 WHIP. He has pitched in some extremely tough spots, and is suffering from a lot of arm fatigue, in my opinion. He sat at 90 mph with his sinking fastball at school and has been anywhere from 82-89 on Cape Cod. He is trying to develop a slider that will compliment the late life on his fastball, that has been thrown anywhere from 76-82 mph, and he has an out-pitch in his change-up that will sit around 80 when his fastball is 86-89. It is very difficult to decipher between his change and his fastball because they have very similar action.
     As for mechanics, Brandon is a big-bodied pitcher with a very strong base. He comes to an ideal balance point and uses a front shoulder coil to put a little more behind his fastball. His arm action is, overall, very smooth (other than a slight back arm stab). He incorporates the bow and arrow technique to involve his upper body more. He throws from a low three-quarters delivery that adds even more late life to his fastball. His front foot step is very consistent and in the middle of his body. He bends his back leg before using a very nice, low leg drive. He pitches from a good power position and does a very nice job of tucking his front glove. I like the way he finishes off his pitches. By using a front shoulder coil, the bow and arrow technique, a back leg bend, and the front arm tuck, Brandon puts everything he can behind the ball. However, that has not seemed to effect his stamina. Moore has pitched 3.0 or more innings in 5 of his outings. I think Brandon has the toughest job out of the bullpen. He has taken on the role of long reliever. He has done a very good job of coming into some jams and keeping his team in the game for extended periods. His sinking fastball creates a lot of groundballs, and with a developing slider he should be very effective for Arkansas. I think he has a lot of to offer a Major League franchise. He could project as an inning-eating starter, a reliever, or even as a closer on a strong defensive team. It is rare for anyone to find a ground-ball pitcher with such a high strikeout rate, and that should speak volumes to the late-life on his pitches. Most importantly, teams will be getting a very determined pitcher who has a great head on his shoulders. These are absolute necessities for anyone to succeed on the next level. In this playoff run, I am sure Harvey Shapiro is going to use him as a very trusted arm that will eat innings out of the bullpen.