Mickey Moniak Aims To Pack On More Muscle

PHILADELPHIA—A player’s first year in professional baseball is a series of lessons. Among the many No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak learned in 2016 was he needed to add strength to his rangy, 6-foot-2 frame.

“There were a lot of positives that came out of the first year,” said Moniak, 18. “I felt like I jumped in there and really competed. I hit well in July. In August, I started to fatigue and I wasn’t prepared for that, being my first season. It was a good learning experience. I needed to get stronger.”

In the fall, Moniak spent three weeks at the Phillies’ strength and conditioning camp in Clearwater. By early December, the lefthanded-hitting center fielder had added 20 pounds, taking him from 170 on draft day to a solid 190.

“It’s all muscle,” Moniak said proudly. “It’s something the Phillies wanted me to do and I knew I definitely needed it, too.”

Moniak, who joined Pat Burrell (1998) as the only other No. 1 overall pick in club history, came out of the gate strong in the Gulf Coast League last summer. He hit .346 with an .877 OPS in 20 games in July. He fell off and hit just .247 with a .677 OPS in 23 games in August and eventually was sidelined for the GCL playoffs and much of the Instructional League season as he dealt with soreness in his right hip. Doctors in Philadelphia checked him out and there are no more concerns.

“It was just tightness,” Moniak said. “Everything is good. I’m 100 percent. They said it was either a growing pain or just tightness. I just have to stretch more.”

Moniak was part of a prospect-stacked Phillies GCL team that went 41-17 in 2016. A number of players, including Moniak, could end playing a full-season schedule at low Class A Lakewood in 2017. Moniak is eager to see how his added physical strength translates on the field in 2017.

“I’m excited for the season,” he said. “I’m just going to go to spring training and compete and hopefully end up in Lakewood, stay healthy and hopefully have a winning season and win a championship. That’s the ultimate goal and if personal stats come with that, too, that’s great.”

PHIL-UPS

• Righthander Alec Asher, who projects to open in Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s rotation, had a 2.14 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in 42 innings in the Dominican Winter League.

• Outfielder Carlos Tocci had a strong winter season in Venezuela. He hit .323 with a .403 on-base percentage in 59 games for Aragua.

— Jim Salisbury covers the Phillies for CSNPhilly.com.