Phillies: Mickey Moniak Ranked No. 6 Outfield Prospect by MLB.com

Phillies first-round draft pick Mickey Moniak landed at No. 6 in MLB.com’s most recent rankings of the top outfield prospects in baseball.

The Phillies landed the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft after finishing with the worst record in baseball in 2015. There was no one standout star in the draft, so the Phils could have went multiple ways with their selection. They opted to pluck UCLA commit Mickey Moniak out of the California high school ranks. He immediately became one of the best prospects in the system.

MLB.com finished up their positional rankings Thursday, releasing their top ten outfield prospect list. Moniak came in at No. 6, the highest-ranked outfielder at Low-A or lower. He very well could have ranked higher if he was closer to the majors.

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Jonathan Mayo had the following to say about Moniak:

"“The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft had one of the best pure bats in his class and he showed off his advanced approach during his pro debut. Add in his developing power, his excellent speed and defense, all combined with his plus-plus makeup, and it’s easy to see why the Phillies took him with the top pick.”"

Moniak is the fifth and final Phillies prospect to appear on MLB.com’s positional top-tens. Jorge Alfaro ranked as the third-best catcher, Rhys Hoskins ranked as the ninth-best first baseman, Scott Kingery ranked as the seventh-best second baseman, and J.P. Crawford ranked as the fourth-best shortstop.

Moniak spent 2016 with the GCL Phillies after being drafted. In 46 games, the 18-year old hit for a .284/.340/.409 line with one home run and 28 RBI. He went 10-for-14 in stolen base attempts. He started his major-league career on the right foot, although our own George Stockburger has pointed out the results were mixed in his first season.

Obviously Moniak wasn’t on the list when it was initially released last year. However, he wound up in the eighth spot by season’s end.

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Other Phillies outfield prospects like Nick Williams, Cornelius Randolph, Dylan Cozens, and Roman Quinn did not appear on the list. If they broke down the list into three for each position, Randolph or Cozens could have wound up on the left or right field lists, respectively.

Moniak was not the only 2016 draftee on this list. Seattle’s first-round pick Kyle Lewis also made the list, coming in at No. 10.

Phils assistant director of player development Steve Noworyta has stated that Moniak will start 2017 with Low-A Lakewood.

Here is what Moniak’s new MLB.com prospect card has to say about him:

"Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55Hailing from the southern California high school ranks, Moniak springboarded from a strong summer showcase to a spring that saw him continue to excel, moving up boards and landing as the No. 1 overall pick. The Phillies signed him for $6.1 million, well under pick value, and Moniak had a solid pro debut in the Gulf Coast League, though fatigue and a minor hip flexor slowed him temporarily.Moniak has considerable tools that should excite Phillies fans. He can flat-out rake, making consistent hard contact from the left side of the plate. He started showing more power during his senior year and he could approach Major League average pop as a pro. Perhaps more impressive than his innate ability to barrel up the ball is his IQ at the plate, with an approach far advanced for his age and a willingness to use all fields. Moniak runs very well, allowing him to be a threat on the bases and to cover a lot of ground in center field, where he has the chance to be an elite defender.Moniak was already gaining good weight and adding strength last fall, something that will serve him well in his first full season of pro ball. His instincts, work ethic and natural tools all point to him living up to the expectations usually heaped on a No. 1 pick’s shoulders."

Next: Phillies Sign Ryan Hanigan to Minor League Deal

MLB.com releases their Top 100 Saturday, and several Phils prospects should land on the list.