After spending the first seven years of his Major League career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Mickey Moniak was traded to the Los Angeles Angels midseason, but as he watched his former team in the Fall Classic, he feels joy & envy.
Moniak was drafted as the first overall player in the 2016 Draft out of La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California, and over the next several years he fell short of expectations, which led to the Phillies moving him for right-hander Noah Syndergaard.
Still just 24 years old, Moniak has made stops at every Minor League level while with the Phillies, even after reaching Triple-A, he was sent up and sent down. While watching his former team battle with the Houston Astros in an eventual 4-2 series loss, he felt a multitude of emotions but has an overwhelmingly positive view of his old squad, via Sam Blum of The Athletic:
“Just watching them go on this run — these are guys that I’ll have relationships with until the day I die,” Moniak told The Athletic by phone on Thursday. “It’s been super cool watching them succeed, watching this run they’re on.”
“I’ve always heard that, in baseball, everyone’s career’s going to end at a certain point. And it’s the relationships that are going to last a lifetime. I think this is a telltale sign of how true that is. I’ve been rooting for them the whole way.”
In another deal that sent former Angels outfielder, Brandon Marsh, to the Phillies, he’s had his own special moments. With opportunities to play on the biggest stage a rare thing in MLB, Moniak watches on with a supportive lens.
“I’m excited for them. I’m happy for them,” Moniak said. “Then it makes me a little hungry to get to that point in the future, with the Angels. The fire burns a little bit to want to get there.”
Moniak was given a landing strip to find his rhythm with the Angels at the backend of 2022, but two injuries derailed a fiery start with his new club.
Like Mickey Moniak, Jo Adell’s future hinges on offseason movement
The Angels have been patient with Jo Adell, in fact, they’ve afforded him the time to work on his deficiencies and ‘figure it out’ since his fall from top prospect within the organization. As the team heads into the offseason, general manager Perry Minasian has multiple decisions to make that could impact Adell’s future with the team.
Still only 23 years old, Adell hasn’t done enough to stick around long-term with the big club, but dating back to 2020, he’s appeared in 161 games. His results have been quite underwhelming for a former first-round pick, and in 557 plate appearances, he’s posted a .215/.259/.356 slash with a 68 wRC+.
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