There’s only three days until the Phillies select first overall in the 2016 MLB draft. There still seems to be no clear cut choice at this time, let’s take a look at what might happen.
Moniak Emerges
High school outfielder Mickey Moniak has emerged as a top candidate to be taken first overall on Thursday. We did not cover him in our last draft board so we are going to now.
Mickey Moniak
Position: OF Age:18 Hometown: Encinitas, CA School: La Costa Canyon Commitment: UCLA Bats/Throws: Left/Right Height: 6’2 Weight: 190
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 Power:45 Run: 60 Arm: 50 Field: 60 Overall: 55
Considered the best high school bat in the draft, Moniak has put himself in position to be taken first overall. Moniak has great success making contact and hits the ball hard, which gives him outstanding gap power. Scouts believe the 18 year old will develop more power as he grows. On defense, Moniak plays above average defense and is projected to stay in center field for the long haul. Some see him as a Gold Glove candidate in the future. He projects to be a lead off hitter with the outstanding speed he posses along with his ability to get on base regularly. Moniak would join an already crowded outfield in the Phillies organization, but there’s a chance he could become the best one.
Red Flags: No major red flag; could add strength
Comparison: Christian Yelich (Marlins)
Groome Drops
It has been rumored that the Phillies are passing on the top prospect in the draft. The Phillies will not pursue Jason Groome due to the concerns that come with taking a high school pitcher first overall. Some believe Groome may even fall out of the top 3. The Phillies did see Groome when he played in Camden, Groome struck out 14 in 6 innings of work that night while allowing an unearned run, but the Phils have moved in a different direction.
The Top 5
It is widely believed that the Phillies are down to 5 choices, one pitcher and four batters. The pitcher is A.J. Puk, the ace at the university of Florida who had a rough outing this weekend giving up 5 runs in 4 innings. The four batters are Moniak, along with college outfielders Kyle Lewis and Corey Ray. Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel rounds out the group. You can read about Puk and the college hitters in our last draft board. http://completephillycoverage.com/phillies/phillies-draft-board.html
Another high school outfielder from California also committed to UCLA, Blake Rutherford is also in the mix. He is a lot like Moniak except he has more power than Moniak and profiles better in a corner outfield position. Rutherford is not out of the discussion, but hasn’t seemed to make the top group to this point.
The Pick
It is stilled believed the Phillies are leaning towards Puk, but Lewis and Moniak are coming on strong. Klentak has said the team has not made a decision yet and will wait until they are on the clock to do so. Puk can develop into an ace, but he has continued to be inconsistent and with a great spring from Lewis and the high interest in Moniak and others, there’s no guarantee for Puk.
With only a few days left before the draft, a lot can still happen, stay tuned.
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