Phils select Mickey Moniak with #1 overall pick

CF Moniak became the face of the Phils future Thursday.

It was the first time since 1998 that the Philadelphia Phillies chose first in the MLB draft.  It was OF Pat Burrell then and OF McKenzie 'Mickey' Moniak Thursday.  Moniak is 6'2" and 190 pounds.  Google him and you'll see him  track down impossibly deep hits to the track in CF and watch him spray the field with hits galore, which he did all summer long to drive his value to the tip-top of this year's draft.

"I’m just very excited to be a Phillie.  I'm going to be working as hard as I can and do anything necessary to move my way up and hopefully put on that Phillies uniform in Philadelphia,” he said on Thursday night.

He's confident, composed and as full-proof to be a solid five-tool major leaguer as anyone in this year's draft.  The 2016 draft is slightly unusual in how unpredictable it was to see a clear favorite for #1.

"The No. 1 pick has always been a dream," Moniak said. "Up until the point where the commissioner said my name, it was all a mystery. When it happened, it was unbelievable... It’s definitely a huge honor.”

Moniak, right, won gold with Team USA.

Moniak helped the Team USA under-18 team capture the gold medal at the 2015 Under 18 Baseball World Cup in Japan.  He played for La Costa Canyon High in Carlsbad, Calif., where he hit .476 with 46 RBIs and 40 runs this season. He comes from a baseball family—his grandfather, Bill, played in the Red Sox organization and his father, Matt, played at San Diego State.

His coach Justin Machado at La Costa Canyon says he “will be a leadoff guy and a center fielder wherever he goes.  His first step as a defender is amazing.  He has a nose for the ball and can read swings pretty well.”

“I just want to help my team win. If I have a bad at-bat. I still have to go to center field and make a good play. It definitely puts things in perspective.”

It's significant that by all accounts he projects as a major league CF.  No other outfielder in this year's draft is thought to be dominant enough at his position that it's certain he won't play a corner position or move around. Moniak's speed is cartoon-like, and he shows tremendous stolen base potential.  One reason for that is that he is characterized as a "gamer," who loves to play 'all out' and 'go for it,' while showing tremendous love of the game in the style of a Chase Utley.

Moniak can track and catch anything.

“The one thing I try to do is stay within myself. Obviously playing with all the tough competition this summer helped me. I think think playing with all the top guys, reassured me that I could play with those guys. Over the summer, there would be 50, 60 scouts at every event you went to. It’s good to have an experience like that. The main thing I’ve learned is you have to have fun. It’s called play ball, not work ball, my (Team) USA coach said. You have to enjoy yourself.”

“First and foremost, you’ve got to look at it like that. The main thing about baseball and the main thing I like to do when I play the game of baseball is you can’t put too much-added pressure on yourself. In between the lines, the main thing is go out and win a ballgame. That’s your main focus. That’s all you’ve got to focus on."

He is known to be a 'gym rat', who never stops working out and working on his technique and mechanics.

"I take a lot of pride in hitting," Moniak said. "It's something I work on a lot."

Detractors, especially those who are frustrated with the current Phillies parent club, are scoffing at the team adding yet another powerless outfielder when power is the current team's biggest flaw.  He also wasn't the most talked about player, who was probably LHP Jason Groome, who fell to #12, where he was snatched up by the Red Sox.

However, most everyone in the baseball world loves how professional this kid already is and how much he improved this Spring, when his stock rose at a meteoric pace.  Senior advisors Pat Gillick and Charlie Manuel were among those Phillies executives who were high on this decision.

Phillies scouting director Johnny Almaraz said in a statement: "Collectively, we believe Mickey was the best player available in the draft.  He’s a true center fielder with incredible offensive ability and the potential to be a perennial All-Star."

The Phillies #1 pick selection was embraced nearly unanimously by baseball experts, including former Phillies CF Doug Glanville, who asserted that-- in his opinion-- power comes in the later stages of a player's development.

While certainly not a reliable rule, Glanville would appear to be correct in Moniak's case.  In his Junior year, he went Ben Revere by hitting no HR.  Then, he added strength to his slender frame and belted 7 HR as a result this year, his senior and final year of high school.

“I like to work on all aspects of my game," Moniak said.  "The main thing I’m working on now is to put on muscle and get more power in my swing.”

He gets many hits up the middle, which is attractive to experts as well, since that area of the field is so difficult to defend.

Moniak hit .476 with 7 HR, 12 triples, 46 RBI, 40 runs scored and a .921 slugging percentage. He was the Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year and finished his four-year varsity career with a .390 average, 105 RBI and 105 runs scored.

Said Jim Callis, senior writer for MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com: “He’s a plus defender, he can really run and he’s one of the best hitters in the draft. He doesn’t have big-time power, but he’s also not just a slappy guy. He can hit 12-15 homers. For a high school guy, he’s very polished and provides positional value and hitting ability. You’ve got a solid regular. His floor is very high and his ceiling is very high.”

"Moniak features a good set of physical tools, with above-average running speed, a solid-average throwing arm, and outstanding outfield defensive instincts. His weakest tool is raw power but he isn't punchless," wrote John Sickels at Minor League Ball in May. "Most observers consider his swing mechanics to be excellent and he is one of the top pure hitters in the class."

Melissa Lockard, the MLB editor at Scout.com, said consistency is what has separated Moniak from the other high school position players:

“Every time scouts came out to see him, they seem to love him more,” she said. “You always got the same level of play. He can do everything pretty well.  There’s not one super standout tool, but he gets good marks in pretty much every category. He looks like he can stick in centerfield, hit around .300, hit double digits in home runs and stolen bases and be a good defender. He’s shown more and more than he’s got the skill set to stay in that position and provide that kind of offense.”

CBS Sports writes: "In addition to having an outstanding baseball name, Moniak has been one of the biggest risers in the draft class over the last year. He went from decent prospect to potential No. 1 pick this spring thanks to a true five-tool skill set. Moniak's worst tool is his throwing arm, which is about average. He projects to hit for both power and average long-term thanks to an easy lefty swing and a sound approach. Good speed and instincts make him a no-doubt center fielder as well. Few players in the draft offer similar upside and all-around ability."

He was scheduled to attend Utley's alma mater UCLA for college at the time the Phillies drafted him Thursday.  If the progress of former 13th pick SS J.P. Crawford is any indication, then fans can hope to see Moniak at the major league level around 2020 at age 22.  Crawford was picked by the Phils in 2013 and is now major league ready, although has yet to debut.

Nola Shows Grit, Perseveres

The Phils got a much needed sigh of relief with an 8-1 drubbing of Milwaukee Sunday to close the gap back to .500 and improve to 28-29 with just their 2nd win in their last 10 games.  The Phils had lost 11 of 13 before splitting a 4-game series with the Brewers over the weekend.

It was the first series the Phillies didn't lose since May 18th.

With this season's resurgent NL East filled with competitive bidders, the Phils have fallen far in those weeks, from Second to Fourth Place.

Sunday, it was Ace Aaron Nola beginning June just as he completed May.  Nola went 6 shutout innings, striking out 9, which tied a career high.  Nola allowed 10 base runners and pitched out of trouble several times, but never yielded a run.  It was a strong show of maturity for the rising star, who turned 23 on Saturday.  Nola is  6th in the NL with a 0.99 WHIP and 8th in S.O. with 85.

Nola is the real deal.

After surrendering a leadoff walk, followed by a single in the first inning, Nola faced the heart of the order with 2-on and nobody out.  He appeared in trouble.  These are the moments most young pitchers panic and error.  Nola, however, calmly S.O. Milwaukee's #3 and #4 hitters on a total of 6 pitches in identical fashion: 2 consecutive called strikes, followed by swinging strike 3.  His trademark calm and unhittable curveball served him well.  Then, after a strike followed by a ball to RF Domingo Santana, a double steal put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 out and a 1-1 count.  Nola dug down and got a swinging strike, followed by a foul, then finished with another swinging strike 3, his 3rd of the inning, to retire the side.

Nola faced runners at 2nd and 3rd again in the 2nd with only 1 out and managed 2 ground-outs to keep the Brewers scoreless.  In the 5th he allowed 2 on with 1 out, then struck out the next 2 batters to end the inning.  In all, he threw 103 pitches and is 8th in the NL in IP with 78, which the team will have to keep a watch on to caution against over extending him during the tail end of a season which likely won't result in a playoff run.

"It was strange," Nola said. "I told the infielders that I was going to give them a 1-2-3 inning one time. It didn't happen. I got in jams pretty much every inning. I would get the leadoff guy, and then they'd get a hit. Or I'd get two outs, and then they'd get a hit. I battled hard and kept the team in the game, which is the most important part."

Nola's determination and ability to fight his way through nights where it doesn't come as easily are tremendous signs of his progress and a bright light for the team's immediate future.

CF Obdul Herrera continues to provide light at the top of the order, as well.  He sparked the team's 2nd highest scoring game of the season with 4 hits Sunday.   Herrera's .317 average is 14th in the NL, but more than that he is second in the NL with a .426 OBP, which is making him arguably the best Phillies leadoff hitter in decades.

Franco's power has been significant.

3rd baseman Mikail Franco added a bullet of a solo HR which traveled 386 feet to LF in the 3rd inning with 2 out, flashing his tremendous bat speed.  Although his average has been disappointing this season, he is on pace for 28 HR and 88 RBI, which could give him the best Phillies power output at 3rd base in almost 20 years:

1998 Scott Rolen hit 31 HR
1992 Dave Hollins hit 27 HR

Catcher Cameron Rupp added a HR of his own.  He is batting .500 with 2 HR in 4 June games for the Phils, who had 13 hits in all Sunday:

"We know that we can do it, and we showed it," Rupp said. "We just have to be consistent with it. The bats are there. Hitting is contagious. It really is. When guys keep getting big two-out hits and keep the line moving, you can do a lot of damage. We did that today."

Tommy Joseph hit a ground rule double to deep right center in the 5th to make it 4-0. Joseph is 7 for 20 during the 5-straight starts manager Pete Mackanin has given him, hitting .350 with a 2B, a HR and 2 RBI.  His S.O. are high and he rarely walks, but he is an obvious advantage over Ryan Howard, who has hit an astonishing .151 with a .211 OBP while earning $25-million this season.

The Phillies will play their next 6 games against the Cubs and Washington.  They would gain tremendous confidence if they could somehow pull off a split over those 6 games.  However, it's a tall task, since the opponents are baseball's best, the Cubs, and 5th best (Nationals) teams.  After all, the Phils were just swept back-to-back by both teams from May 27th-June 1st, when the Phils were outscored by a collective margin of 33-11.  So, Monday through Sunday the Phils will essentially be revisiting their nightmares.  Hopefully, they can Carl Jung their way through it with more heroic results.

Read more Phils coverage here: http://phantasticphillies.blogspot.com/