Phillies: Five prospects who had breakout seasons in 2018
By Josh Starr
Mickey Moniak, OF, Clearwater
After the Phillies selected him first overall in the 2016 Draft, Moniak had a disappointing start to his professional career.
Still a teenager, Moniak hit .236 in his first full professional season with Lakewood in 2017. This was a different story for Moniak, who battled injuries and wisdom tooth surgery. He found some of what made him the top choice in the draft and produced more this summer than last.
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Moniak moved up a level to Clearwater, but improved his numbers dramatically. His average jumped to .270 in 2018, but he hit .311 in August.
It would be nice to see him find a way to get on base more and strike out less. His OBP was .304 and he struck out 100 times in 114 games this year, but it’s all part of the learning curve just two years removed from high school.
His glove is already showing signs of being a top center fielder. He’s made five errors in his three professional seasons and just one this year. He had seven assists in 2017 and added six more in 2018. Once the bat comes around, he’ll start to prove his worth as the top pick.
He is still only 20 years old and the bat is usually the last thing to develop in a prospect. His 34 point increase in his batting average is a great sign. Everything points to him continuing that improvement next year and becoming the top prospect everyone expected.
dark. Next. Grading the Phillies acquisitions in 2018
Next year is an important one for Moniak. He broke out this year, but an even bigger step up next year will solidify his place as a top prospect, and even more importantly, a prospect that the Phillies won’t consider moving on from.