Philadelphia Phillies: Prospect Mickey Moniak MLB Projection
By Tim Boyle
A look at what Philadelphia Phillies prospect Mickey Moniak can become once he reaches the big leagues.
Last summer, the Philadelphia Phillies used their first overall draft pick to take a high school kid named Mickey Moniak. The slender left-handed hitting outfielder is years away from his MLB debut yet already someone Phillies’ fans can begin drooling over.
Based on what we know about him, Moniak could have a big league career that includes a couple of batting titles. He knows how to put the ball in play very well. A far more sinister projection of Moniak’s career would have him developing into something closer to Ben Revere which no one would like to see happen.
One thing is certain: Moniak is never going to join the 500 Home Run Club.
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In 403 plate appearances during his high school career, Moniak hit just nine home runs. His junior year included a goose egg in this category. In his senior year, Moniak smacked seven home runs in a semi-power surge for a guy without much at all. He has bulked up a little since the draft, but a little more muscle does not always mean more home runs.
Moniak is the opposite of a home run threat even on the high school fields of California. This has already continued into his professional career as well. With the Gulf Coast Phillies in 2016, Moniak hit one home run in 194 plate appearances. He did have 11 doubles, though. This is somewhat surprising considering the 22 total he had during his high school career.
High school numbers, of course, aren’t a perfect translation in the professionals due to the level of competition, aluminum bats, and occasional detention issued to a star player. However, when taking both into account, one can confidently say Moniak is headed toward a career as a singles hitter. He does have the potential to maybe knock a few more doubles on a regular basis than he did for La Costa Canyon High. Expecting anything more is foolish.
Drafting a pure singles hitter isn’t the worst thing in the world for the Phillies. Power is something they’d love to have at the moment. By the time Moniak is ready for the big leagues, it could be a center fielder who gets on base often that they desire most.
Knowing Moniak may never reach double-digit home runs in a season might feel a little disheartening. He still has time to develop, get a little stronger, and learn how to hit home runs. If he fails to do this and remains a singles hitter, let’s not forget these players have a spot on a major league roster too.
At best, Moniak becomes the next Ichiro Suzuki or Tony Gwynn. These two classic contact hitting outfielders thrived in the MLB by placing the ball where it needed to go rather than just swinging with the hope that it landed somewhere nobody was standing. During his career, Suzuki has only once topped 10 home runs in a season. Gwynn had a few more years of it—particularly at the end of his career when everyone was showing off their home run trot during the late 1990s.
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The next few years will give a better idea of what Moniak will become. A conservative estimate, he reaches the big leagues at some point in 2020. The Phillies seem eager to compete earlier than this. Rather than expect him to turn the franchise around, Moniak’s role might become that of a reinforcement. He has plenty to offer the big league squad in the coming years. It’s all just a matter of getting there.