No. 3: Outfielder Mickey Moniak
The Phillies struck the gold mine of unluckiness, landing the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2016 draft with the worst record in the MLB the year prior. That No. 1 pick turned into California high-school outfielder Mickey Moniak. The Phillies signed Moniak to a $6.1 million bonus, well below the slot value for the pick.
Moniak wasn’t even the top outfielder coming out of California for a while, let alone in the running to be selected first overall. Blake Rutherford was the cream of the California crop and the No. 3 draft prospect as late as March according to Baseball America. However, Moniak put together an incredible senior season where he hit for a .476 average with seven home runs. Phillies executive Pat Gillick was on hand for a game where Moniak had eight RBI and batted for the cycle. BA’s last two mock drafts had Moniak going to the Phillies.
According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, a prospect evaluator from another team gave Moniak a rave review:
"“The bat is good. He’s going to hit and hit for average. He’s a good centerfielder. He can run. The question is how many home runs will he hit? If he ends up getting stronger, he could be a corner bat that’s unbelievable. There’s no negative here. It’s a good pick.”"
While the word of one person can only be taken so far, the general consensus around Moniak is that he is an above-average to plus hitter at the plate. MLB.com gives Moniak’s hit tool a grade of 60, saying that he “makes consistent hard contact against good competition.” The most uncertain part of Moniak’s offense is how much power he will have as he gets older. For now, he hits lots of line drives into the gaps mostly for doubles, but the home runs aren’t there yet. The hope is that Moniak will develop power as he physically develops, making him an absolute monster at the plate.
Moniak’s performance at the plate in the Gulf Coast League reflects his offensive profile. Moniak got on base plenty with a .284 average and .340 on-base percentage. However, his isolated power was below-average at .125 and he hit just one home run in 46 games. In the GCL, Moniak displayed his ability to hit as well as his lack of in-game power.
On defense, Moniak should have no problem becoming a center fielder with great routes to the ball. Hudson Belinsky of Baseball America described a play where Moniak saw a fly ball off the bat, ran to a spot without looking back, and stopped right under the ball to make the catch. Phillies GM Matt Klentak said at a press conference following the draft that Moniak is a “middle-of-the-field player.”
Moniak is incredibly far away from the major-leagues, and a lot could change between now and when he reaches the majors. All the tools exist for Moniak to become a dynamic, top-of-the-order player for the Phillies. Both prospects above Moniak on this list could be graduated by this time next year, and he will likely become the team’s No. 1 prospect this time next year.