The Philadelphia Phillies are continuing to win with their current major league roster. They have exciting pieces locked up for the long haul, but they're also set for future success with the young guys they have in the minors. That includes their 27th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, Aidan Miller.
Miller just turned 21 years old and is currently working his way through the farm system. He has worked his way up to Double-A but appears to have hit a wall as far as production. You never know when certain prospects will face their greatest adversity, but it also proves that nothing is ever a sure thing.
Top prospect Aidan Miller's Double-A struggles prove progression isn't linear
Through 72 games, Miller has hit .224/.343/.362, good for a .705 OPS. He has also struck out 83 times so far. On the flip side, Miller did have a stretch from May 11 to June 3 in which he batted .313 with an .849 OPS. However, since then he has hit for a .186 batting average, .705 OPS, three home runs and seven RBIs.
Miller was an exciting young shortstop when they got him at No. 27 overall. Many experts even believed that he was a steal as a late-round pick. Miller proved it at first with his .811 OPS he posted in 2024, but his struggles show that he still has room to grow as a young player. Even with his struggles, he's still the Phillies' No. 2 prospect and expected to debut in 2026, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
It's possible that he just hasn't adjusted to the raised competition in Double-A. Again, at 21 no one truly expects him just to figure it out immediately. It takes time for the younger guys to work their way through the organization (subscription required), per Keith Law of The Athletic. A recent high-schooler jumping into an MLB farm system is no different.
The Phillies drafted Miller with the chance of him becoming an infielder of the future. They can still get that out of him, but it may take longer than initially anticipated if the troubles continue through the remainder of 2025. Hopefully, for the sake of Phillies fans, Miller ends up being the player they have been envisioning. The struggles may present a problem now, but it may only be temporary. If he does break out of it, he could be knocking on the door to his MLB debut in no time.