Inside The Phillies

Phillies MiLB Recap: Moniak Shines in Rehab Debut

The highly anticipated Major Leagu season debut of the Philadelphia Phillies center field prospect draws nearer.

Alex Carr

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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As far as team efforts go, Friday wasn't the greatest for the Philadelphia Phillies' minor league affiliates. That said, some individual performances, including the highly anticipated rehab debut of Mickey Moniak, signaled hope to the big club.

Both Reading and Clearwater struggled to manufacture runs. But Lehigh Valley handily defeated Rochester; and Jersey Shore, powered by a strong outing from Mick Abel, took home their win as well.

All that and more came out of an action-packed Friday, so here's everything else you missed on the Phillies' farm:

Top Stories:

Triple-A: INF Nick Maton - 4-for-4, HR, 3 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB

Any concerns of his tough start to the season have since evaporated, as Nick Maton single-handedly crushed the Rochester Red Wings.

The infielder now boasts an impressive .880 OPS, including a .374 on-base percentage. He's had an outrageous month of May, in which he's slashing .352/.456/.611.

Maton's glove has also showcased well, a good sign for the infielder, as he's seen the bulk of his playing time at shortstop. He'll likely serve as a utility infielder type down the line for the Phillies. He's had an impressive last two seasons.

Double-A: C Logan O'Hoppe - 2-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI

Six 'notable performances' inclusions in a row for O'Hoppe. What more is there to say?

He's crested the .400 on-base percentage mark on the year, and is now hitting .297 on the season with a .977 OPS.

What makes this streak even more exciting, is that O'Hoppe has managed it outside of the notorious hitter-friendly park that is "Baseballtown" in Reading. He has  tortured the Somerset Patriots in this series, even prompting this tweet from the Patriots Twitter Account:

High-A: RHP Mick Abel - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

He's had an up-and-down season, but Abel recovered nicely after a tough start his last time out.

Peripherally, everything still looks great for the top prospect. His fastball is still sitting high-90s with great shape, and his secondary pitches remain impressive. The real task for Abel this season has been reining in his control.

It's important to remember, Abel is a 20 year-old shoving in a league where the average player is three years older than himself. After 27 innings pitched, he stands at a respectable 4.00 ERA.

Single-A: OF Mickey Moniak - 2-for-3, 3B, 2B

The Phillies need a center fielder. Mickey Moniak might be the answer.

In his first appearance back since enduring a broken hand in the final game of spring training, Moniak smoked a 105 mile-per-hour double and a 102 mile-per-hour triple. Obviously, he's playing well below his competition level in Clearwater, but to see him get through the game with loud contact, and no troublesome plate appearances is a strong sign.

He flashed some leather and speed as well. Check out how quickly he gets around the bases on his straight-center triple:

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs vs. Rochester Red Wings: W 10-2

Notable Performances:

1B Darick Hall - 2-for-5, 2B, K

UTIL Dalton Guthrie - 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 K

Reading Fightin' Phillies vs. Somerset Patriots: L 2-6

Notable Performances:

LHP Erik Miller - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K

OF Jhailyn Ortiz - 0-for-4, K

Jersey Shore BlueClaws vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks: W 5-2

Notable Performances:

OF Ethan Wilson - 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 1 RBI

INF Casey Martin - 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, R, RBI

Clearwater Threshers vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (DH): L 0-3, L 1-3

INF Hao-Yu Lee - 0-for-6

RHP Jean Cabrera - 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

  1. How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies
  2. Andrew Painter is Off to a Historic Start
  3. Phillies Top-10 Prospects Heading Into the 2022 MLB Season
  4. 18-Year-Old Phillies Prospect is Making History
  5. How did Philadelphia end up with Citizens Bank Park?
  6. How the Phillie Phanatic Came to be America's Favorite Sports Mascot
  7. This Unlikely Draft Pick Could be the Final Piece in the Phillies Next Blockbuster Trade
  8. "The Family Was More Nervous Than Him," Stott’s Relatives on Debut
  9. Picking the Phillies' All-Time Single Season Lineup
  10. Why Did the Phillies Forget About These Top Prospects?

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Alex Carr
ALEX CARR

Alex Carr is a writer, editor, and podcast host for Sports Illustrated and FanNation's 'Inside The Phillies'. Previously, his work has been featured on SBNation's 'TheGoodPhight'. He/him.

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