That Balls Outta Here
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Five Phillies in need of a major bounceback in 2018

By John Town

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 30: Jerad Eickhoff #48 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the top of the first inning against the Atlanta Braves in game one of the doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park on August 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 30: Jerad Eickhoff #48 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the top of the first inning against the Atlanta Braves in game one of the doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park on August 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Mickey Moniak

I’m slightly cheating by choosing a prospect, but my article, my rules. After being drafted No. 1 overall in 2016, Mickey Moniak instantly jumped to the top of prospect lists. Baseball America ranked him as the No. 17 overall prospect, praising his abilities on both sides of the ball.

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Things were going okay through April in Low-A Lakewood for Moniak. He was hitting .284 with a .714 OPS, but things turned south after the first month. Moniak finished the year with a .236/.284/.341 line, 5.5 percent walk rate, and 21.4 percent strikeout rate.

After his poor season, the hype around Moniak is fading. MLB Pipeline dropped him 69 spots on their Top 100 this year, from No. 19 to 88. Baseball America took him off their Top 100 completely. With other top draft picks in 2016 (Nick Senzel, A.J. Puk, and Forrest Whitley) all making the list, it makes things look even worse for Moniak.

The hope is that Moniak can turn things around with another crack at Low-A. He started the year there at 18 years old, well below-average for the South Atlantic League. With another year of experience and conditioning under his belt, Moniak’s performance may not fall off as bad as the season progresses.

Next: Will 2018 Be the Year of Nola?

If Moniak can’t bounce back and improve from last year, don’t be surprised if people start attaching the “bust” label to his name.

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