Phillies top draft pick's massive homer, hot start prove he should graduate Low-A
Aidan Miller, the Phillies' 2023 first-round pick, demolished a home run on Tuesday as he continues to tear through Low-A.
At just 19 years old, Aidan Miller has been dominating pitchers in Clearwater. The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Miller with the 27th pick of the 2023 draft, and many around baseball believe that was a steal. So far, the young infielder hasn't given any reasons to doubt that assertion.
After getting drafted last year, Miller played in 20 games across Rookie ball and Low-A Clearwater. He posted an .804 OPS. The Dunedin native posted solid numbers in a small sample size. So far in 2024, he has picked up where he left off and then some.
Last week, Miller hit his first official professional home run in Clearwater, in a 10-5 Threshers' victory. His first long ball left the bat at just over 93 mph and traveled a distance of 362 feet. On Tuesday night, however, Miller launched a moonshot to right-center field.
Oppo 🌮 Tuesday for Aidan Miller!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 17, 2024
MLB's No. 56 prospect (@Phillies No. 3) sends his second homer of the season 427 feet for the @Threshers. pic.twitter.com/W0RRDBdEWT
The second home run of Miller's young career was more impressive than the first, leaving the bat at 106.3 mph and landing 427 feet away from home plate. While the development of the first-rounder's power has been nice to see, Miller's entire performance thus far has been noteworthy.
Aidan Miller already showing he's too good for Low-A
Just nine games into his second professional season, Miller has posted insane numbers. Through Wednesday's route of the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Phillies' No. 3 prospect is slashing .359/.409/.615, which is good for a 1.024 OPS. He has also accumulated 14 hits — six for extra bases — and nine RBI in just 39 at-bats.
Through his young season, Miller has hit in eight of the Thresher's nine games. Four of those games have been multi-hit performances. His best showing to date came on Wednesday in his hometown, as he went 4-for-6 with four runs scored and two RBI.
That's a career-high four knocks for @Phillies first-rounder Aidan Miller!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 17, 2024
MLB's No. 56 prospect has four multihit games in his past six contests, giving him a 1.024 OPS for the @Threshers: pic.twitter.com/HDYhDQcjc6
In addition to his bat, Miller can run a bit as well. He has already swiped five bases so far in 2024. Defensively, he is spending most of his time at shortstop but likely will see some time at third base, too, as he transitions to playing the hot corner as he advances through the minor leagues.
Miller is still very young and prospects can be hit or miss, but the Phillies must be impressed with his start to the season. If he keeps playing at his current pace, it wouldn't be surprising to see him move up to High-A Jersey Shore later this summer. Regardless of his level, Miller will be a prospect to keep an eye on all season long.
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