Baseball can come with a steep learning curve. Its highest level can be a lot faster for a young player. On top of that, being the first overall pick in the draft and playing in Philadelphia adds even more pressure. It was a perfect storm for Mickey Moniak to struggle. Since the trade back to his home state of California, Monaik is finally starting to figure it out.
The City of Brotherly Love
Mickey Moniak was the first overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft out of La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California. The Phillies, who were coming off of a 63-99 record, were looking to rebuild and thought that Moniak would be a good addition. Upon signing, he hit pretty well in rookie ball, with a line of .284/.340/.409. He looked to be a guy who could help the Phillies sooner than later.
When it came time for him to make his mark, he came in with a whimper. In 8 games with the Phillies in 2020, he hit .214/.389/.214. He was definitely not setting the world on fire. The trend continued over his time in Philadelphia, hitting around .200 at the major league level. The only bright spot was his excellent spring training numbers, but that was not enough to keep him in Philadelphia.
Before being traded to the Angels at the 2022 deadline, things were repeating: an average below .200 and inconsistent playing time. All the while the Phillies were trying to get into the postseason. He was traded to the Angels on August 1st for starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard. There was less pressure on him in California and more playing time. Things were heading in the right direction before an injury ended his season.
Mickey Monaik Sample Size in 2022
Mickey Monaik only played in 19 games as an Angel before his season ended, but something was starting to click in that small sample size. In the 18 games he played in Philadelphia, he had a line of .130/.184/.152. No matter how you look at that, it’s not good. After coming to Anaheim, he hit .200/.226/.417. That is a significant improvement for someone who barely had a pulse before coming to the Angels.
Sometimes it takes hearing a different voice to get things going. Also knowing there isn’t much pressure on you for being the number 1 pick of the team that drafted you can help as well. Things move slower on the west coast. Not a lot of people are coming after you if you underperforming. Who knows what the reason was for everything coming together, but small sample size or not, the Angels will take it.
The Iron Is Hot
Coming into the season, the Angels outfield was crowded. The signing of Brett Phillips made it clear that both Mickey Monaik and Jo Adell were going to be in AAA to start the season. What no one saw coming was the early season struggles of both Phillips and the Angels. With Phillies struggling and Moniak doing well, it made sense to try and see if his success could translate to the majors.
Since that change was made, Moniak has become a great 4th outfielder for the Angels. He allows guys to get days off without missing a beat in the lineup. Plus, he has the ability to step in for struggling teammates in the outfield as a platoon option. As of this writing, Moniak has a line of .304/.339/.643. An insane improvement from what he was doing up to this point.
For an organization that is doing all it can to try and fight its way into its first postseason since 2014, these kinds of things have to go right. Getting quality off the bench from roster spots 20-26 is paramount for a playoff team. Moniak may have finally figured it out at the major league level and the Angels are the ones who will be reaping the benefits.
Photo Credit: © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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