CBN Player of the Week, Week V: Wesley Moore
Former Vauxhall Jet LHP Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) of the class-A Clearwater Threshers.
May 11, 2023
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
September is a time when most pitchers know where they will be pitching come spring time.
Wesley Moore would rather not try and remember his September.
He thought he was going to pitch for the Kansas State Wildcats in his fifth season of college ball. The majority of players were given an extra year due to the COVID ravaged 2020 season.
Moore was turned down. He appealed. It was denied. He appealed again. Again his appeal was turned down.
So in September he was in Manhattan, Kan. unable to pitch for the Wildcats. That’s when the Philadelphia Phillies decided to give him a look signing him to a pro contract as Matt Betts detailed so well in December. And we’re sure his former Vauxhall Academy Jets coach Les McTavish, who doubles as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, put in a good word to the Phils Mid West scout.
Now, Moore (Surrey, BC) has a May to remember. Pitching for the class-A Clearwater Threshers. Moore worked four scoreless innings striking out eight to pick up the win and Canadian Baseball Network minor league Player of the Week for Week V.
How Moore’s week that was went ...
_ He took over in the top of the ninth in a 1-1 game against the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Moore pitched a scoreless ninth: striking out the side, all swinging. When the Threshers were scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, the Vauxhall grad came back out for the 10th. With the Manfred Mystery Man on second, he struck out the first hitter, but the ball went to the screen, setting up a first and third situation. Lakeland squeezed in the lead run. Then, Moore fanned the next two hitters, making the run unearned. In the bottom of the 10th Clearwater scored twice for a 3-2 win before 1,456 fans at the BayCare Ballpark. Moore threw 34 pitches (26 strikes). Former Great Lake Canadian Jordan Marks (Sarnia, Ont.) pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth allowing one hit and walking one, while striking out two. Marks threw 33 pitches (20 for strikes).
_ Three days later he worked a scoreless eighth and ninth down a run, as Clearwater rallied for two in the bottom of the ninth for an 8-7 victory in front of 1,338 fans. Moore recorded a line out and two fly balls in the eighth. And in the ninth, he struck out the lead off man, retired the next on a grounder, allowed a double and recorded the 27th out with a strike out swinging. Moore threw 31 pitches (23 strikes). Marks also worked two innings working 19 pitches (13 strikes).
Moore has been dominant from his debut. He was one of six pitchers to combine on a 3-0 no hitter over the Bradenton Marauders. Samuel Aldegheri, Eduar Segovia, Andrew Walling, Orion Kerkering and Moore combined to strike out 16. Moore fanned two of the three hitter he faced in the ninth for his first save.
Best Offensive Performances
Name Class Team AB RUNS HITS HR RBIs
Tyler Black AA Biloxi 20 5 7 1 3
Abraham Toro AAA Nashville 20 4 7 - 3
Edouard Julien AAA St. Paul 23 6 8 2 7
Bo Naylor AAA Columbus 21 6 7 1 4
J.C. Masson A Dunedin 18 1 6 - 2
Anthony Quirion A Jersey Shore 12 2 4 - 1
Charles Leblanc AAA Jacksonville 22 5 7 - -
Liam Hicks A Hickory 13 2 4 - -
(Minimum 10 ABs)
Best Pitching Performances
Name / Class / Team Games Win Saves ERA INN K
Wesley Moore A Clearwater 2 2 - 0.00 4.0 8
Wesley Moore is 23 year old Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect who hails from Surrey, BC and was signed as a free agent from NCAA Kansas State University in November 2022. He is currently working out of the bullpen with Clearwater Threshers in the Single A Florida State League, and this week made two very good relief appearances for the Threshers. The first on May 4 in 3-2 victory over the Lakeland Flying Tigers when he pitched two innings, without allowing a hit and zero earned runs while striking out six Lakeland hitters, to secure his first win of the season. He followed that on May 7 in an 8-7 win again over Lakeland when he tossed two more scoreless innings, surrendering only one base hit while striking out two batters for his second win of the week. His overall Rookie record with Clearwater in nine Single A Florida State League appearances, now stands at 2-0 with two saves and an non-existant ERA.
NAME CLASS TEAM Games WIN SAVE ERA INN K
Brock Dykxhoorn FGN Uni President 1 1 - 0.00 7.0 7
This week Brock Dykxhoorn had another excellent start for Uni President 7-Eleven Lions in the Chinese Professional League and in doing so, he led his team to a 4-0 win over Wei Chuan Dragons. In this game he pitched seven innings gave up four base his and no runs while striking out seven hitters, to earn his third win of the season. His overall record for the first place Lions in five CPBL starts to date, is now 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA.
Previous Players of the Week
Week I _ Edouard Julien (Ancienne-Lorette, Que.) triple-A St. Paul Saints (Twins)
Week II _ Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) double-A Akron RuberDucks (Guardians).
Week III _ Abraham Toro (Longuiel, Que.) triple-A Nashville Sounds (Brewers)
Week V _ Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) class-A Clearwater Threshers (Phillies).