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Phillies 2019 season preview: Outfield prospect Mickey Moniak

By John Town

TAMPA, FL - JUNE 03: Mickey Moniak (2) of the Threshers goes down the line high fiving teammates who are giving him the silent treatment upon returning to the dugout after hitting a home run during the Florida State League game between the Florida Fire Frogs and the Clearwater Threshers on June 03, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JUNE 03: Mickey Moniak (2) of the Threshers goes down the line high fiving teammates who are giving him the silent treatment upon returning to the dugout after hitting a home run during the Florida State League game between the Florida Fire Frogs and the Clearwater Threshers on June 03, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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19 JUL 2016: 2016 1st overall pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft Mickey Moniak of the Phillies during the Gulf Coast League (GCL) game between the GCL Braves and the GCL Phillies at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Projections for Moniak in 2019

As mentioned previously, Moniak should see better numbers to start off the year considering he is in Double-A Reading. Even if Moniak breaks out in Reading, other players have as well just to flame out in Triple-A or the majors.

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A bigger key development for Moniak will be in his plate discipline. Strikeouts have been a huge issue for him, racking up 100 in the last two years. Coupled with a low walk rate, Moniak’s plate discipline is one of the bigger things holding him back from success. Maybe it comes from being overmatched due to his youth, but whatever the source is, it is a glaring issue.

If Moniak can find a way to put the ball in play more, he should have more success. He had a .334 batting average on balls in play in Clearwater last year. If he maintains that rate and can cut down on strikeouts, his batting average could climb close to .300. That is a huge if for Moniak given how his first few seasons have gone.

Cutting down on the strikeouts is the main thing I (and the team) likely want to see from Moniak this year. If he can do that, the rest of his offensive game will come into place. At this point, no one is expecting Moniak to become Yelich, but if he can at least be a quality starting outfielder, that will be better than where he is now.

If Moniak does succeed this year in Reading, he could make his way to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. It wouldn’t surprise me if he spent the whole year in Reading as there could be a logjam of outfielders in Lehigh Valley.

Next. Phillies 2019 season preview: RF Bryce Harper. dark

In the event Moniak still struggles at the plate in Reading, serious questions will start coming up. He may follow down the path of Cornelius Randolph into relative prospect obscurity while Haseley and others gain more notoriety.

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