Mar 5, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Dylan Moore (25) hits a 2-RBI single during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
TAMPA -- Dylan Moore had heard a lot of high praise about Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long at his other stops in baseball, and now that he's getting to experience working with him, he's understanding what all the hubbub is about.
"Just working with him has been awesome," Moore said. "His communication is top notch and he listens to feedback and we've been going back and forth and we've seen a lot of good changes in my swing and my approach swinging at good pitches.
"The repertoire speaks for itself. The (Kyle) Schwarbers of the world and all these guys who have crazy good offense and believe in the system that he teaches - so I would be a fool not to at least give it a shot."
A 2024 Gold Glove Award winner in the American League as a utility player, Moore has always been thought of as a glove-first guy with meager offensive numbers.
But he has produced in the past as well.
In 2020 in Seattle, he slashed .255/.358/.496 for an OPS of .855 with eight home runs in only 159 plate appearances. That was his best season, but in 2022, he had an effective season with a .368 on base percentage and a .753 OPS in 255 plate appearances.
He has also reached double digit home runs three times, which, for a bench player, is pretty solid.
His season cratered in 2025 though. He was waived by the Mariners in the middle of one of that franchise's best seasons in its history. He signed with Texas at the end of the season, but all told he hit just .201 and had career lows in on base percentage (.267) and OPS (.642) across 243 plate appearances.
Of Dylan Moore’s nine batted balls this spring, five have been hard-hit (95+ mph) — and four of those have been 100+.
The .508 OPS is a bit deceiving. He’s competing for the final spot on the Phillies’ bench.
Now 33, Moore was just looking for an opportunity.
"I couldn't be picky with the down offensive year I had," Moore said. "So I was looking for an opportunity to learn, get better and repeat or even surpass some of my good years in the past."
That brought him to the Phillies, where he signed as a non-rostered free agent with an invitation to Spring Training in early February.
The early part of the Grapefruit League season wasn't the greatest, but the more he's worked with Long, the better it's gotten. It was highlighted by an RBI single in the Phillies 6-4 win over the Yankees on Saturday.
Starting in right field, Moore inside-outed a Max Fried sinker over first base to plate a run. The swing came on a 2-2 count, and was right in line with what he had been working on with Long.
"Kevin and the hitting group have made some adjustments with him at the plate and he's really taken to it," manager Rob Thomson said. "He's got a really good aptitude. He's a Gold Glover who you can play anywhere on the field. That creates a lot of value."
All Moore has to do is hit a little bit to lock in that value. It's no sure thing at this point, with a little more than a week to go in Spring Training and both De La Cruz and Stubbs having strong camps. But the Phillies will have to make a decision soon as Moore can opt out of his deal with the team as soon as Spring Training ends if he doesn't land a roster spot.
He's not worried about that now, though. For now he's just trying to win a job and head North with the team.
"I'm just getting ready for the season as the player I can be -- the maximum version of myself in the infield or the outfield. That's what I've been preparing for and I'm just trying to show that I'm ready for that and that I can be a part of a winning ball club."
