10. Mickey Moniak, OF
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/13/1998 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Lakewood BlueClaws
2017 Stats: .236/.284/.341, 509 PA, 5 HR, 11 SB, 28/109 BB/K
Info: The #1 overall selection in the 2016 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, Moniak has seen a precipitous fall down the rankings in 2017 as his season progressed and his performance continued to regress.
In talking with scouts, (Moniak’s) performance was as all over the board in scout view as it was on the stat sheet
Coming into the 2016 draft, Moniak was hailed for his exceptional bat control, projected by many as a future .300 hitter that would play high-end defense in center field and some power projection in his swing. He showed nearly none of that in 2017 in his full-season debut in low-A.
In talking with scouts, the performance was as all over the board in scout view as it was on the stat sheet. Therefore, right now, we have to go still some on what he was before and take a wait and see approach to his 2018 season.
9. JoJo Romero, LHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 9/9/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Lakewood BlueClaws, high-A Clearwater Threshers
2017 Stats: 23 GS, 129 IP, 2.16 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 7.1% BB, 25.1% K
Info: An intriguing JuCo pick in 2016 in the 4th round, Romero saw his stuff immediately start to tick up as he got into the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
Romero is more polish than elite, but he’s already shown growth in his raw stuff, so there could be more there, but for right now, he’s a polished mid-rotation guy on a quick path to the big leagues.
His current fastball sits in the low 90s, touching 96 with excellent location, and he has a pair of above-average offspeed pitches that allow him to carve through hitters at least 2 times through a lineup with a fringe plus change and an above-average curve. He rarely used his slider as an amateur, but he sequenced in the slider more as a pro, especially in 2017, and the pitch began to show more effectiveness in break and location due to his comfort of feel on the pitch.
If he stays where he is currently, Romero profiles as a solid #3 that will eat up innings from the left side, which has plenty of value, but while there’s not a lot of physical projection left in his frame, he’s simply not had a ton of coaching to his raw stuff, so there could still be growth left, especially in his secondaries. He’ll likely open with high-A in 2018 and finish his season in the upper minors with an eye to the Philadelphia Phillies rotation at some point in 2019.
Next: #7 and #8