Phillies getting roasted for missing on budding Tigers star from their own backyard

As the Philadelphia Phillies begin to pick up the pieces from the end of the Rob Thomson era, there's a lot of places to point to when trying to answer the question of, "Where did it all go wrong?"

Though it's just one mistake of many made by the franchise in recent years, let's wind the clocks back to the 2023 MLB Draft. That class was revered for its top-end talents; the top two picks were a pair of star-studded LSU teammates (Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews). Numerous top prospects who have already made an impact in the majors (Matt Shaw, Nolan Schanuel, Kyle Teel, etc.) were soon to follow.

All of those players were off the board when the Phillies came on the clock at No. 27 overall, but no matter -- the near-consensus was that they would select shortstop Kevin McGonigle, who literally played in the team's backyard as a product of Monsignor Bonner in Drexel Hill.

Instead, they opted for Florida prep infielder Aidan Miller. The rest, as they say, is history.

Phillies' miss on star rookie Kevin McGonigle could haunt franchise for years

To be clear: There's no blame to place on Thomson in this specific mess; Miller has yet to play in Philadelphia, and there's no telling if McGonigle would have developed into the star he is now in Detroit if he'd been in the Phillies' system all along.

These issues extend to the front office and beyond. McGonigle blossomed into a top prospect the moment he was drafted, entering this season as one of the most-hyped rookies in the league. He's been so impressive that the Tigers handed him a $150 million pact shortly after he debuted, and through the end of April, he's hitting .330/.419/.518 (162 wRC+) with just as many walks as strikeouts.

As a reminder, he's 21 years old. McGonigle is going to be good for a very, very long time.

Meanwhile, Miller has been impressive in his own right, posting a 137 wRC+ and 59 steals across two levels last year. He's also only 21 and already in Triple-A. To call the pick a "bust" would be a textbook example of the fallacy of equivocation.

That being said, there's the recurring back injury that looms over everything else that Miller does. He missed the 2025 Arizona Fall League because of it, and has gone significant lengths of time this year without swinging a bat as he manages back soreness. It's as frightening as it sounds, especially for someone who won't turn 22 until June.

In time, Miller might prove to be healthy and dominant with a power-speed profile rarely seen amongst middle infielders. His chances of becoming a star may be diminished, but they're far from extinguished.

The problem, of course, is that McGonigle is already a star and then some. Failing to pick him - from a local power, no less - is the kind of mistake that can set an entire organization back.

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