Spring training is kicking into high gear with Grapefruit League games finally starting. One player who Philadelphia Phillies fans are excited to see in action is Aidan Miller. The team's top prospect has been developing as a shortstop in his minor league career but as we already know, the Phillies plan to get him reps at third base this spring.
While current third baseman Alec Bohm's job is safe for now, with Miller destined to begin the season in Triple-A, many are pegging the prospect to eventually take over the hot corner. The Phillies have been adamant that they want Miller to be a shortstop since drafting him in the first round in 2023. The first hints that they were willing to move him to a different position surfaced in the fall.
However, as MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reminded us this week, Miller actually played third base before being drafted and was projected to be a third baseman after playing there in high school. It has been two and a half years since that fateful draft night in 2023, so you may not remember that observers were surprised that the Phillies listed him as a shortstop after taking Miller with the 27th overall pick.
Aidan Miller's past at third base will make it even easier for Phillies to replace Alec Bohm
While the Phillies believe wholeheartedly in his bat, Miller has impressed with his glove at short in the minors. And we all know how versatile good defensive shortstops can be in the infield. Remember that Bryson Stott came up as a shortstop before moving to second base?
Miller doesn't feel like the move back to third base will be a big problem. It certainly doesn't hurt that the Phillies have infield coach Bobby Dickerson and the legendary Larry Bowa working with Miller this spring.
"It’s just the angles, the throws," Miller said about switching to third, per Zolecki. "I think once I get more reps over there, I’ll be comfortable again. [Dickerson’s] big thing is just catching the ball. Catch the ball and throw the ball to first base. Make boring easy. For the most part, they just want me to go out there and play and leave me alone and not put too much stuff in my head."
Dickerson himself says that Miller will be fine at third and that he could play anywhere (on the infield we're assuming).
"He can catch a ground ball anywhere," Dickerson said, per Zolecki. "The same with Stott. They can play anywhere. A ground ball is a ground ball is a ground ball. Once you understand how they’re acting and what ground balls do, once you solve those riddles … the only thing that’s different is job responsibilities and your throws."
Bohm is heading into a contract year and it's difficult to see the Phillies re-signing the 28-year-old with Miller waiting in the wings. While we could still be a season away from seeing Miller's ascension to a full-time job at third, we shouldn't have to wait too long to see how he fares at the hot corner with games starting this weekend.