Mariners Noon Number: Andrew Moore produces bigger than the sum of his parts

Seattle Mariners starter Andrew Moore, the team’s No. 2 pitching prospect and No. 4 overall, made a successful MLB debut on Thursday in the M’s 9-6 win over Detroit to sweep the four-game series.

Moore pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches, 69 for strikes.

Moore doesn’t have a big arm – he sits 89-92 with a four-seam fastball (though he was a tick or two higher in the first inning in his opener), but he has good arm-side run and puts it where he wants it. Every.Single.Time.

He also possesses a plus changeup and shows a slider and curve for variety. His biggest asset is his competitiveness and baseball IQ. He won’t rack up a ton of strikeouts at the big league level, but it’s an arsenal that should stick and be part of a solid rotation.

He’s bigger than the sum of his parts, and it’s always been that way. Most scouts thought the M’s overdrafted him, but he’s shown in a quick rise through the minors that there’s still something to be said for pitching, which is what the kid does.