Philadelphia Phillies 2017 mid-season top ten prospect list
By John Town
No. 1: OF Mickey Moniak
The Phillies were rewarded for their league-worst record in 2015 with the first pick in the 2016 draft and they used that selection on high school outfielder Mickey Moniak. After a solid debut in the GCL last year, the team assigned Moniak to Low-A Lakewood as a soon-to-be 19-year-old to start the season.
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Moniak has been unspectacular in 85 games. He has a .265/.317/.383 line with 21 walks and 71 strikeouts in 355 plate appearances. He has 26 extra-base hits with 31 RBI and has gone for 9-for-14 in stolen base attempts. None of these numbers are great, but it should be noted that Moniak is 2.5 years younger than the average player in the South Atlantic League.
There is still a lot to like about Moniak as a prospect and he projects well as a four-tool player in the major-leagues with the potential for the fifth tool, power as well. He draws comparisons to Christian Yelich at the plate, a consistent masher that the Phillies are rumored to have legitimate interest in.
Moniak is still young and years away from the majors. However, there is plenty to like about him and was regarded by most as the team’s second-best prospect before the season. With J.P. Crawford falling off, Moniak easily slots into the No. 1 spot in the system.