Moniak, top pick in ’16, making strong bid to crack Phils’ roster
It’s early, a third of the way through a 28game exhibition schedule. But Mickey Moniak is channeling Scott Kingery in a bid for a spot on the Phillies’ Opening Day roster.
Three years ago, Kingery batted .411 (23for56) with five home runs in Grapefruit League games, agreeing to a sixyear, $24 million contract, and going from a spring long shot to making Philadelphia’s Opening Day roster.
Moniak, the top pick in the 2016 draft, made his majorleague debut in September. After coming off the bench Tuesday to deliver a oneout triple in the eighth inning against tough Toronto lefty reliever Ryan Borucki, his spring performance is becoming more difficult to ignore. Moniak is 5for9 with four extrabase hits.
“He’s looked really good. I mean, he’s been impressive,” manager Joe Girardi said after a 41 loss to the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla. “I’ve said all along he’s interesting . ... I think there’s a lot of talent there.”
Moniak is vying with Kingery, Roman Quinn, and Odbel Herrera in the wideopen centerfield competition, he hasn’t gotten as many starts as the others, with his nine spring atbats spread over eight games.
If Moniak is a dark horse in the centerfield race, it’s because he missed valuable minorleague development time last year because of the pandemic. The Phillies would rather that the 22yearold get a full season’s worth of atbats in TripleA before throwing him into the deep end of the majorleague pool.
“One thing that you don’t want a young player to do is to come up and sit,” Girardi said. “... That’s one of the things, if Mickey continues to make this really, really interesting, that will have to be discussed.”
Highlights: Stephen Strasburg pronounced his fastball command better than it was before his carpaltunnel surgery and said his first game action in nearly seven full months essentially was the same as any Grapefruit League debut after striking out four Astros in 1 ⁄3 innings
2 in a 44 tie . ... Starter Steven Brault and the Pittsburgh staff came within one out of pitching a nohitter in a 101 win over Atlanta. Phillip Ervin broke up the bid with a twoout single off Nick Mears in the ninth inning. Ke’Bryan Hayes, son of former Giants infielder Charlie Hayes, went 2for2, including his fourth double. He’s gotten an extrabase hit in all five of his games . ... Daniel Johnson helped his chances in a crowded Cleveland outfield by homering twice in a 92 win over Texas . ... Minnesota’s Kenta Maeda allowed one hit in three innings as the Twins beat the Orioles 10 . ... Deivi Garcia pitched three shutout innings in his second start for the Yankees, but the Tigers won 65 . ... San Diego’s Blake Snell pitched onehit ball for two innings as the Padres beat the White Sox 42.
Briefly: Yankees lefthander Zack Britton needs surgery to remove a bone chip from his pitching elbow and seems certain to miss the start of the season . ... The Indians’ Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes rejoined their teammates at spring training after being banned for breaking coronavirus protocols . ... The Rangers shut down hardthrowing righty reliever Jonathan Hernandez for at least four weeks because of a ligament sprain in his right elbow.