Some Major League Baseball stars are stellar from the moment they take their first at-bat in the big leagues. Others take a while before they figure things out, and sometimes they have to move to another team to find the right opportunity to grow.
For Mickey Moniak , the pathway to success hasn't been easy. He was once regarded as a can't-miss prospect when the Philadelphia Phillies made him the No. 1 pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. The organization let him come up through its farm system and expected him to be a major cornerstone alongside Bryce Harper .
Moniak made his MLB debut in 2020, but he only batted .129 in two and a half years with the Phillies. He only appeared in 47 games with the team before it traded him to the Los Angeles Angels midway through the 2022 campaign, the year it went to the World Series.
Today, Moniak is a member of the Colorado Rockies , and while the Rockies are in last place in the National League West, he's becoming a rich man. On Aug. 4, he agreed to a two-year, $16.25 million contract extension to stay put.
Jul 28, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Mickey Moniak (22) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While his stock is rising, he seemed to criticize the Phillies organization for the slow start to his career, although he said he understood why he wasn't given a lot of opportunities there, via USA Today .
"I didn't really have the luxury, or I should say they didn't have the luxury," Moniak says, "of giving me a leash to go out there and maybe get 100 at-bats to figure it out. The most at-bats I got in a stretch was maybe 20. It was just tough to find a rhythm. But I totally understand the nature of this game and the business side of it. They put a lot of money into that organization and was in a win-now mode.
"I was trying to go 5-for-4 every game trying to do way too much. I was getting caught up in my day-to-day performance instead of being patient knowing the 162-game marathon is real. That's why I learned to trust the ability that God has given me, and be focused more on the team winning, and as opposed to getting so caught up in your day-to-day performance.
"That's what I've told these young guys. You're going to go through a bad stretch. This game's going to knock you down. If it knocks you down three times, you get up four.''
In 88 games this season, Moniak is batting .266 with an OPS of .847 with 59 runs batted in and 20 home runs. Last year, he appeared in 135 games with the Rockies and batted .270 while driving in 68 RBIs and hitting 24 homers.
Jul 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies designated hitter Mickey Moniak (22) hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
During his early days in Philadelphia, the team was in the process of building a winner, and perhaps it was determined that it simply wasn't worth it to continue to have him in the lineup on a regular basis. By the time the squad jettisoned him to Southern California, he was deemed a bust.
But Moniak kept working at his craft and didn't give up on himself. As a result, he busted out in 2023, his first full year with the Angels, by batting .280 and hitting 45 RBIs and 14 home runs in just 85 games.
He was the subject of trade rumors weeks before the Aug. 3 deadline , and he could've taken his chances this winter, as far as possibly being traded to a winning team. Instead, he decided to stay put by signing that extension.
Perhaps Moniak sees some potential in his current situation. While the Rockies have a dismal 50-77 record, they rank sixth in Major League Baseball in RBIs, fifth in OPS and fourth in batting average. The Phillies may have made a mistake in letting him go, but he's an example of what perseverance, self-belief and stubbornness can do to help one become the best version of himself.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as Phillies Former No. 1 Pick Takes Subtle Shot at Organization .
