2016 top pick Mickey Moniak doing just fine

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Words to live by. It’s barely been a year since the Philadelphia Phillies selected prep outfielder Mickey Moniak at the top of the 2016 MLB Draft. Out of the California ranks, Moniak entered a farm system on the rise, placing him not quite at the top (see: J.P. Crawford) but right near it.

He’s only been 19 for a little over two months and was great in his first professional taste of baseball. For the Phillies rookie club, he hit .284 with a 35:11 K:BB ratio (.340 OBP), 28 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 46 games.

That set him up for favorable reviews entering 2017. Moniak slotted in at number 41 in John Sickels’ preseason ranking and was a top 20 selection for MLB.com (19) and Baseball America (17).

The new year took him to Low-A Lakewood and the reigning top overall pick has been pretty good. He’s hitting .261 entering July 25th with some serious split action. Vs. righties he’s succeeding with a .280 average, but against lefties is struggling with a .207 posting.

His age is still absolutely in his favor, but some of the shine has come off the player taken above all others in 2016. The mid-season rankings from Baseball America, ESPN and MLB.com have all bumped him down.

A handful of the names passing him by are 2017 draftees. A class considered largely void of game-changing talent, I refer to the words at the top of this piece.

What have you done for me lately?

Moniak has been good, not great, and is still one of the best centerfield prospects in baseball. But new is always better...more words to live by.

He’s dropped 33 spots on Baseball America from his most recent rank (13 to 46), 18 spots on ESPN (13 to 48) and MLB.com dropped him from 19 to 33 (14 spots for those scoring at home).

The struggles from the left side of the plate are certainty of note as his value would plummet significantly if he became a platooner, but at this juncture Mickey Moniak is freshly 19, plays an even fresher centerfield and has overall numbers —.261, 18 doubles, five triples, four home runs and nine stolen bases (though six caught stealing’s aren’t good)— that still make him one of baseball’s most promising prospects.