Phillies Select Mickey Moniak with #1 Pick in MLB Draft

We spent all Spring talking about Jason Groome and AJ Puk and various College Outfielders and Phillies threw a late breaking Curveball as rumors on Moniak and the Phillies only started surfacing about 4 weeks before the Draft. Gillick, Manuel and others attended a game a few weeks back in which Moniak played his usual stellar defense and went 5 for 5 and hit for the cycle. It's hard to find things to dislike about Moniak. There's very little power presently, but it could certainly come as he ages.

Here's what I had to say about Moniak last month:

Mickey Moniak is a 6'2" 190 lb Center Fielder from Encinitas, CA... he may well be the best pure hitter in this draft. In a somewhat thin class he is rocketing up boards late and word is the Phillies even had noted hitting expert and beloved former Manager Charlie Manuel watch him recently in game action. Rumors are the Phillies love his hit tool and ceiling.

His Defense is his carrying tool, but his bat has a chance to be every bit as special. Moniak has Plus bat speed and the bat control to rival anyone's if he swings he generally doesn't miss. He's a very cerebral hitter from reports and interviews. He attacks at bats with a plan and he sounds like he understands with rather professional intimacy the mechanics of his swing. The swing is a beauty. He keeps his head level even with all that rotation. One flaw is he rolls his front foot, which will sap some of his power. Should be easy for a team to clean up and he doesn't do it all the time. (Ed. note: this was in relation to Home Run derby video, not in game swings).

Yelich is kind of the floor if the power never develops and (Shaun) Green is someone's fever dream of Moniak if the power does develop. I doubt Moniak will have a 49 Homer season, but with his Speed, Defense and hitting any power is a bonus. For a High Schooler I think he's got a pretty high floor. Perhaps his floor might be pre-2016 Jackie Bradley, Jr. (and apparently his ceiling may also be Jackie Bradley, Jr., if the guy we skipped for Larry Greene keeps up his hot start).

I love that I will have more excuses to share this video and maybe see something like it in a Phillies uniform someday soon: