As the Los Angeles Angels gear up for a four-game series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, their recently called-up second baseman, Christian Moore, is set to step foot in Yankee Stadium for the first time. Remarkably, this will be the 22-year-old’s debut at the iconic ballpark, despite growing up in Brooklyn, New York, just under 20 miles away. The reason behind this surprising fact? A hilarious family rivalry that’s stealing the spotlight.
Moore, a lifelong Yankees fan, was kept from attending games at Yankee Stadium due to his father’s unwavering loyalty to the crosstown rival New York Mets. According to Angels insider Rhett Bollinger, it was this Mets allegiance that barred Moore from experiencing the storied franchise’s home games as a kid. The revelation has fans chuckling as Moore prepares to live out a childhood dream in pinstripes’ territory.
Growing up, Moore idolized another dynamic second baseman: eight-time All-Star Robinson Cano. Cano, who began his MLB career with the Yankees in 2005 and stayed until 2013, was a cornerstone of Moore’s fandom. Cano even returned to New York in 2019, but as a Met, playing parts of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, a brief stint in 2022, and missing 2021 due to a PED suspension. After his Mets tenure, Cano bounced to the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves, wrapping up a 17-season career in 2022 with a .301/.351/.488 slash line, .839 OPS, 335 home runs, five Silver Slugger awards, a Home Run Derby title, and a 2009 World Series ring—a resume any young infielder like Moore would aspire to.
Christian Moore grew up a Yankees fan in Brooklyn but it’s his first time at Yankee Stadium because his dad is a Mets fan and wouldn’t let him go to Yankee Stadium. Moore’s favorite player growing up was Robinson Cano.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 16, 2025
Now, Moore is carving his own path as an MLB second baseman. Though he’s yet to record his first hit in the big leagues after six at-bats, the backdrop of Yankee Stadium offers a poetic stage for the rookie. Facing the Yankees, in the stadium he never visited as a kid, Moore will undoubtedly channel his inner Cano as he hunts for that milestone hit.
This four-game series is more than just a chance for Moore to break through; it’s a homecoming laced with irony and nostalgia. As he steps onto the field, fans will be rooting for the Brooklyn native to make his mark—and maybe even share a laugh over the Mets-Yankees divide that kept him away for so long.