Phillies Season in Review: Mickey Moniak

Inside the Phillies continues their season in review series with Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder Mickey Moniak.

© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

2021 was nothing if not erratic for Mickey Moniak. He was called up to the Phillies seven times, yet he spent only 31 days on the major league roster. Shuttled back and forth between Allentown and Philadelphia, Moniak never found true stability.

His first call to the big leagues came on April 16, ahead of a home series against St. Louis. Both Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn had squandered their opportunities to win the Phillies center fielder job. Now the first pick of the 2016 MLB Amateur draft would have his shot at taking the position.

Moniak’s 2021 season got off to an auspicious start. Just like Quinn before him, Moniak failed to record a hit in his first four games. Finally, facing the San Francisco Giants on April 20 and 21, a light appeared for the 22-year-old.

A single to left off Giants ace Logan Webb ended Moniak’s hitless streak and the following day the young center fielder smacked a three-run opposite-field bomb off Anthony DeSclafani.

It seemed like Moniak might have begun to catch up with major league pitching, but his trial did not last long. After recording just one hit over his next three games, Moniak was demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and never again called up to the Phillies for an extended period in 2021.

On May 1, Moniak was recalled to the Phillies but didn’t face any in-game action, the same occurred from May 5 to May 7. Now, he would find some stability with the Iron Pigs from May 8 to July 19. In that span Moniak slashed a respectable .262/.313/.507.

The Phillies, however, couldn’t help but interrupt his run of form. Moniak was recalled to the big club for just two days from July 25 to July 26, and he struck out in his one plate appearance.

Moniak returned to Triple-A, but was again recalled from August 10 to August 13. Moniak was used as a pinch hitter in three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds and failed to earn a hit in any game.

Once more Moniak was demoted. Now with the Iron Pigs, he began to slump. In barely under a month in the minor leagues, Moniak batted just .203 before his seventh promotion to the Phillies, but the story stayed the same as the last.

Moniak saw six games as a late-inning substitute from September 11 to September 20, but didn't pick up a hit in any appearance. It had been since April 25 that Moniak had reached base in the majors.

Mercifully, Moniak was demoted back to Lehigh Valley to finish an inconsistent season. His slash line with the Phillies had been .081/.167/.182, and with the Iron Pigs .238/.299/.447.

In a season without any form of balance or cohesion, Moniak failed to put together a steady performance. He was given a shot to stick with the Phillies in April, but never again did Moniak start a game for the Phillies. Had he been left to develop in Triple-A once he failed in the Phillies in April, it’s possible Moniak could have found a rhythm and been better prepared for the season to come, or not. What is certain for 2022 is that the Phillies must give Moniak consistency, whether that comes in the majors or minors.

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