Phillies need Mickey Moniak to quell centerfield disaster

All eyes are now on former No. 1 overall Phillies pick Mickey Moniak.

The Phillies would love to see Mickey Moniak get going. If he plays well, he should have a genuine chance to stick with the big-league club. The opportunity to cement himself as someone who — if not worthy of that top selection back in 2016 — is at least worthy of being an everyday starter out there in center field.

As far as other options after Moniak? Well, the Phillies do have Scott Kingery, Travis Jankowski, and Odubel Herrera stashed away. However, of those three, only Kingery is actually on the 40-man roster. After an abysmal spring training, it could be some time before the team slots him back into the lineup.

Jankowski is a career .238/.315/.313 hitter who offers little upside. Herrera, meanwhile, is a PR nightmare — whose time with the team should be over. On top of that, he hasn’t had a meaningful at-bat at the pro level since 2019, when he played 39 games and slashed .222/.282/.341.

It’s early, but the dismal start for Phillies center fielders has been a major cause for concern. The Phillies shouldn’t wait until mid-summer — with them free-falling in the standings — before doing something.

With Roman Quinn faltering at the plate and Adam Haseley on the restricted list, Mickey Moniak will be given a chance to cement himself as a big-league ballplayer. If Quinn can’t get things trending in the right direction — and Moniak can’t stick in the majors — the Phillies will need to be aggressive in their pursuit of a starting-caliber center fielder.

Otherwise, their lack of stability could cost the team more games … and things could get even uglier before they get better.