Philadelphia Phillies fans were thrown for quite a loop on Tuesday when the club announced which prospects they’re sending to the prestigious Arizona Fall League. 2023 first-round pick Aidan Miller was mysteriously absent from the proceedings; a baffling exclusion considering he’s missed almost the entirety of the season due to injury. Fortunately, Miller later confirmed that he will be heading down to the AFL later on after he’s finished partaking in the Double-A postseason.
Miller has been at the center of Phillies prospect buzz for a few years now, as the Florida high schooler fell to them at the 27th overall selection three years ago. In his 242 minor league games since then, the shortstop has displayed serious five-tool potential, slashing .266/.384/.436 with 95 extra-base hits and 87 stolen bases. Importantly, Miller has shown the ability to hack it at shortstop at the major league level, which should come in handy considering incumbent Trea Turner’s granite glove.
Unfortunately, 2026 has been a mostly lost season for the 22-year-old, as he spent the better part of six months on the shelf due to a mysterious back injury. Fortunately, Miller was able to make a return to the field at the very end of the minor league regular season, appearing in four contests.
Aidan Miller's circuitous route to the Arizona Fall League makes a lot more sense with the Double-A playoffs beginning
That healthy return made it quite mystifying for Phillies fans to learn that Miller was initially left off of AFL rosters. Considering how much minor league action he missed this year, it only made sense that he’d get some extra reps in the fall. Thankfully, the confusion was cleared up just a few hours later when it was announced that Miller would remain with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils as they begin their playoff journey before he suits up for the AFL's Surprise Saguaros.
Interestingly enough Miller won’t be at shortstop as the postseason kicks off, instead slotting in at third base. It’s unclear if that’s because the Phillies think he’s better suited at the hot corner moving forward, or if they’d like to see if he can add some versatility to his tool belt.
Aidan Miller will start at third base for Reading in the Double-A playoffs tonight. It’s his first time playing third in the minor leagues.
— Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) September 15, 2026
Considering the fact that Reading has employed defensive wizard Bryan Rincon at short this season, they could simply be putting their best run prevention foot forward as the playoffs begin. Still, it’s noteworthy that Miller is receiving his first-ever start outside of shortstop with his team’s season on the line.
Ultimately, the most important thing to keep in mind is that Aidan Miller is finally healthy and playing baseball; an occurrence that seemed unlikely to happen at all this year not too long ago. Regardless of how he fares in Fall League action or the Double-A playoffs, it’s good to see him back on the field.
The Phillies have a pretty pathetic track record of developing young talent in recent years, and if they want to successfully form the next homegrown competitive core Miller will have to be a significant part of it. With any luck he’ll be making his big league debut sometime next year and fans will have the luxury of forgetting all about his lost 2026 season.
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