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All American Game  | Story  | 6/9/2016

Phillies snag Moniak at No. 1

Jeff Dahn     
Photo: Perfect Game



Rady visit reveals real heroes | Perfect Game 2016 MLB Draft Preview Index

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – At an MLB First-Year Player Draft lacking a consensus No. 1 overall pick going in, the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday decided to go with young and burgeoning star power and used the top pick to select San Diego-area high school outfield prospect Mickey Moniak.

Moniak, a recent graduate of La Costa Canyon High School who calls Encinitas, Calif., home and celebrated his 18th birthday May 13, is the third San Diego-area prospect taken 1-1 (first pick-first round) in the MLB Amateur Draft since 2009, and the fourth from Southern California. San Diego natives Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals) and Brady Aiken (Houston Astros) were the top picks in 2009 and 2014, respectively; Newport Beach, Calif., native Gerrit Cole went No. 1 overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011.

"It's insane," Moniak told MLB Network in the moments after he was announced as the No. 1 pick. "I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be picked by the Philies. I'm excited to hopefully prove the Phillies right and be honored as this No. 1 pai

The selection marks the 13th time in the last 14 years a former Perfect Game prospect has been chosen No. 1 overall, dating back to Delmon Young in 2003 (Tampa Bay Devil Rays). Moniak becomes the eighth alumnus of the PG All-American Classic and the sixth alumnus of the PG National Showcase taken with the draft’s top pick.

He joins Matt Bush (San Diego Padres, 2004), Justin Upton (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2005), Tim Beckham (Tampa Bay Rays, 2008), Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals, 2010), Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh Pirates, 2011), Carlos Correa (Houston Astros, 2012) and Brady Aiken (Houston Astros, 2014) as former PG All-Americans selected No. 1 pick.

His selection at 1-1 didn’t surprise everyone, of course. In a draft breakdown written by former MLB general manager Jim Duquette and published on MLB.com June 7, it was stated: “Moniak is a two-way player who has the approach to be an above-average hitter and plus-defender in the majors. He as excellent baseball IQ and plays hard. Moniak shows the maturity to handle the additional pressure of being the No. 1 selection.”

A 6-foot-2, 190-pound primary centerfielder with a 90 mph outfield arm and 6.5-second speed in the 60-yard dash, Moniak is a veteran of 18 Perfect Game events, including appearances that produced perfect 10.0 PG Player Grades at both the 2015 PG National Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., and the 2015 PG All-American Classic in San Diego.

He was named to the Top Prospect List at the 2013 Sunshine West Showcase, his first PG event. He was also named to the TPL at the 2014 PG Underclass All-American Games and the 2015 PG National, and received all-tournament team recognition at five PG WWBA events, all while playing with the prestigious San Diego Show organization.

Moniak, ranked the No. 6 overall prospect in the national class of 2016 and a UCLA signee, enjoyed a terrific senior season at La Costa Canyon HS, one that ended for the Mavericks with a 23-7 record after a pair of losses at the CIF San Diego Section Division-I playoffs. Moniak slashed .476/.540/.942 and counted seven home runs, 12 triples and four doubles among his 50 hits; he drove in 46 runs, scored 40 and stole 11 bases.

In total, 74 of the 77 (96 percent) players selected on the first day of the 2016 MLB Draft (top two rounds) had previously attended a Perfect Game event. 15 Perfect Game All-Americans were selected in the first round of the draft, 11 of which participated in the 2015 Classic. Twenty-four total PG All-Americans were taken on the first day of the draft, 15 of which played in 2015. In addition, 21 of the first-round picks had previously attended a PG National Showcase, with 19 more National alumni being taken in round two.

Here are all of the former PG All-Americans (24) that were selected on the first day of the 2016 MLB Draft:
Rd. Pick Player Team Year*
1 1 Mickey Moniak Philadelphia Phillies 2015
1 3 Ian Anderson Atlanta Braves 2015
1 6 A.J. Puk Oakland Athletics 2012
1 7 Braxton Garrett Miami Marlins 2015
1 9 Matt Manning Detroit Tigers 2015
1 10 Zack Collins Chicago White Sox 2012
1 12 Jason Groome Boston Red Sox 2015
1 13 Joshua Lowe Tampa Bay Rays 2015
1 15 Alex Kirilloff Minnesota Twins 2015
1 18 Blake Rutherford New York Yankees 2015
1 20 Gavin Lux Los Angeles Dodgers 2015
1 30 Cole Ragans Texas Rangers 2015
1S 36 Jordan Sheffield Los Angeles Dodgers 2012
1S 38 Robert Tyler Colorado Rockies 2012
1S 41 Nick Lodolo Pittsburgh Pirates 2015
2 42 Kevin Gowdy Philadelphia Phillies 2015
2 43 Chris Okey Cincinnati Reds 2012
2 50 Joe Rizzo Seattle Mariners 2015
2 53 Ryan Boldt Tampa Bay Rays 2012
2 55 Nolan Jones Cleveland Indians 2015
2 56 Ben Rortvedt Minnesota Twins 2015
2 58 Sheldon Neuse Washington Nationals 2012
2S 71 Reggie Lawson San Diego Padres 2015
2S 75 Mario Feliciano Milwaukee Brewers 2015

Fourteen more PG All-Americans were drafted on the second day of the 2016 MLB Draft (rounds 3-10):
Rd. Pick Player Team Year*
3 78 Cole Stobbe Philadelphia Phillies 2015
3 85 Mason Thompson San Diego Padres 2015
3 96 Nonie Williams Los Angeles Angels 2015
3 103 Khalil Lee Kansas City Royals 2015
4 124 Nick Banks Washington Nationals 2012
4 131 D.J. Peters Los Angeles Dodgers 2013
4 136 Jeremy Martinez St. Louis Cardinals 2012
5 151 Alexis Torres Baltimore Orioles 2015
5 161 Devin Smeltzer Los Angeles Dodgers 2013
5 162 Cavan Biggio Toronto Blue Jays 2012
5 166 Walker Robbins St. Louis Cardinals 2015
6 176 Luis Curbelo Chicago White Sox 2015
8 231 Francisco Thomas Milwaukee Brewers 2015
9 267 Jason Goldstein Seattle Mariners 2011

Nineteen PG All-Americans were drafted on the third and final day (rounds 11-40) of the 2016 MLB Draft, bringing the total to 57.
Rd. Pick Player Team Year*
11 328 Nicholas Quintana Boston Red Sox 2015
17 498 Mitchell Traver Cincinnati Reds 2011
20 595 Clate Schmidt Detroit Tigers 2011
20 602 Ben Baird Cleveland Indians 2015
20 610 Carlos Cortes New York Yankees 2015
26 783 Greg Deichmann Minnesota Twins 2013
26 787 Avery Tuck Houston Astros 2015
27 798 Dion Henderson Cincinnati Reds 2015
28 829 Nick Shumpert Atlanta Braves 2014
28 846 David Hamilton Los Angeles Angels 2015
30 898 Tyler Fitzgerald Boston Red Sox 2015
32 958 Jeff Belge Boston Red Sox 2015
33 992 Blake Sabol Cleveland Indians 2015
35 1058 Zachary Hess New York Yankees 2015
36 1075 Drew Mendoza Detroit Tigers 2015
36 1076 Reese Cooley Chicago White Sox 2013
37 1110 Ryan Zeferjahn Tampa Bay Rays 2015
38 1138 Austin Bergner Boston Red Sox 2015
40 1203 T.J. Collett Minnesota Twins 2015

*Indicates year player participated in the PG All-American Classic
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