Colin Richard Moran (born October 1, 1992) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

and

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

. Moran attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

North Carolina Tar Heels baseball The North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team, commonly referred to as Carolina or the Diamond Heels, represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in NCAA Division I college baseball. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlant ...

team. In his freshman season, he was named Freshman of the Year and was the only freshman named to the

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

team. After his junior year, the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

selected Moran with the sixth overall selection of the

2013 Major League Baseball draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of ...

. They traded him to the Astros the next season. The Astros promoted Moran to the major leagues in 2016. The Astros traded him to the Pirates in a package for

Gerrit Cole Gerrit Alan Cole (born September 8, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros. Cole played for the bas ...

on January 13, 2018.

Amateur career

Moran attended Iona Preparatory School in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...

. Undrafted out of high school, he chose to attend the

(UNC) to play

for the

team in the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

(ACC). In his freshman year, he led the Tar Heels with a .335

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, .442

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

, .540

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...

, nine

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s, 71

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

and 20 doubles. Moran was named to the

National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) is an association of baseball writers, broadcasters, and publicists in the United States. It was founded in 1962. The NCBWA compiles a preseason ranking of the top 30 teams in the n ...

Freshman

team, ACC Freshman of the Year, and ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

'' Freshman of the Year. Moran was named a ''Baseball America'' All-American, the only freshman to earn the honor. Despite an injury shortened sophomore season, Moran again led the Tar Heels with a .365 average and 35 RBIs. Moran followed the injury-plagued season by being selected as a second team All America by

Louisville Slugger Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

, ACC player of the year, and a finalist for the

Golden Spikes Award The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...

while setting a single season RBI record for UNC, with 86 runs batted in. In 2011 and 2012, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Bourne Braves The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park (ballpark) ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

, and was named a league all-star in both seasons. Moran led the Tar Heels in 2013 with 13 home runs, along with a .544 slugging percentage, and a .470 on-base percentage.

Professional career

Miami Marlins

The

selected Moran in the first round, with the sixth overall selection, of the

2013 MLB draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of t ...

. Moran signed with the Marlins, receiving a $3.5 million

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. He hit a home run in his first professional at-bat, as a member of the

Greensboro Grasshoppers The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National B ...

of the Single–A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

. He spent all of his first professional season with Greensboro, batting .299 with four home runs and 23 RBI in 42 games. Attending

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 2014, Moran sprained the

medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament (MCL), also called the superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint and occurs in ...

in his left knee. He began the 2014 season on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

before being assigned to the Marlins' High–A affiliate, the

Jupiter Hammerheads The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roger Dean ...

of the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

Houston Astros

Colin Moran swings during 2015 spring training

On July 31, 2014, the Marlins traded Moran, Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes, and a compensatory draft pick to the

in exchange for Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernández, and Austin Wates. The Astros assigned Moran to the

Corpus Christi Hooks The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team is owned b ...

of the Double–A

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. In 117 games between Jupiter and Corpus Christi, he batted .296/.344/.397 with seven home runs and 55 RBI. Colin Moran in Houston in Jan 2015

The Astros invited Moran to spring training in 2015. He began the season back with Corpus Christi. In May 2015, a throw hit Moran in the face that fractured his jaw, requiring surgery. He was activated later in the month, but was placed back on the disabled list on June 12. He was activated June 21. In 96 games for the Hooks, he slashed .306/.381/.459 with nine home runs and 67 RBI. Moran opened the 2016 season with the

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in ...

of the Triple–A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

. The Astros promoted him to the major leagues on May 17. Moran batted 2-for-19 (.105) before he was optioned back to Fresno. He began the 2017 season with Fresno and was promoted to the major leagues on July 18. Moran would play nine games with the Astros in 2016, compiling a .130 average and two RBI. In 117 games for Fresno, he batted .259 with ten home runs and 69 RBI. Moran began 2017 with Fresno. He was recalled by the Astros on July 18. On July 22, Moran was injured in the sixth inning when he fouled an inside pitch from

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

reliever Darren O'Day straight up and into the left area of his eye. Moran went down to the ground and grabbed his face, which had started to bleed. After a lengthy time down on the field with athletic trainers—including a brief moment where he attempted to stand up but couldn't – he was carted off the field. Moran suffered a facial fracture from the foul ball, and was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The Astros finished the 2017 season with a 101–61 record and won the 2017 World Series. Moran did not play in the playoffs, but won his first championship as he was still on the team's

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

at the time. In nine games for Houston, he batted .364 with one home run and three RBI, and in 79 games for Fresno, he posted a .308 batting average with 18 home runs and 63 RBI.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 13, 2018, the Astros traded Moran, Joe Musgrove, Michael Feliz, and Jason Martin to the

in exchange for

. MLB.com ranked Moran as Pittsburgh's eighth best prospect going into the 2018 season. After the trade, Moran was named Pittsburgh's starting third baseman. During the Pirates home opener on April 2, 2018, in his first at-bat for the Pirates at

PNC Park PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore (Pittsburgh), North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth location to serve as the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates. Opened during the 2001 Major League Baseb ...

, Moran hit his first career grand slam off of Lance Lynn. Moran finished his 2018 campaign slashing .277/.340/.407 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI in 144 games. In a game against the

on September 5, 2019, Moran faced his older brother

Brian Moran Brian Joseph Moran (born September 9, 1959) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He served as Virginia Secretary of Public Safety from 2014 to 2022, and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1996 until ...

in Brian's major league debut. He ended up striking out on a full-count slider against Brian. In the

pandemic A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...

shortened 2020 season, Moran led the Pirates in total bases (84), home runs (10), and tied for first in RBI (23), slashing .247/.325/.472. On November 29, 2021, Moran was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Pirates following the signing of Yoshitomo Tsutsugo. The next day, Moran was non-tendered by the Pirates, making him a free agent.

Cincinnati Reds

On March 17, 2022, Moran officially signed a one-year contract with the

. He was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

on June 29. Moran had his contract selected back to the major league roster on August 27. On September 6, Moran was designated for assignment and was released on September 8.

Seattle Mariners

On January 10, 2023, Moran signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

organization. In 40 games for the Triple–A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

, he batted .257/.361/.397 with 5 home runs and 28 RBI. Moran opted out of his minor league contract and became a free agent on July 10.

High Point Rockers

On April 30, 2024, Moran signed with the High Point Rockers of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 51 games for the Rockers, he slashed .290/.355/.495 with eight home runs and 24 RBI. Moran was released by High Point on August 12. On May 9, 2025, Moran signed with the

Leones de Yucatán The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team plays its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in 1957 ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. However, on May 12, it was announced he would not report due to personal reasons.

Personal life

Moran's brother,

, is a professional baseball

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. His uncles,

Rich Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense taste, flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling **Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated c ...

and B. J. Surhoff, played in

. His grandfather, Dick Surhoff, played in the NBA with the New York Knicks. Moran and his wife, Kelsey, married in 2017 and had their first child, a daughter in 2020. Moran grew up a fan of the

References

External links

North Carolina bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moran, Colin 1992 births Living people All-American college baseball players Bourne Braves players Cincinnati Reds players Corpus Christi Hooks players Fresno Grizzlies players Glendale Desert Dogs players Greensboro Grasshoppers players High Point Rockers players Houston Astros players Indianapolis Indians players Iona Preparatory School alumni Jupiter Hammerheads players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball third basemen North Carolina Tar Heels baseball players Sportspeople from Port Chester, New York Pittsburgh Pirates players Quad Cities River Bandits players Baseball players from Westchester County, New York Tacoma Rainiers players