Phillies instructs features future outfield duo

If you wanted to know what two-thirds of the Phillies’ outfield might look like come 2019, you needed to head to the Gulf Coast League this summer. If you missed out, the dynamic duo of Mickey Moniak and Jhailyn Ortiz are continuing to get work together during instructional league play.

Moniak, the Phillies’ No. 2 prospect and No. 25 on the overall Top 100 list, came to Phils as the No. 1 pick in the 2016 Draft. Ortiz is ranked at No. 20 on Philadelphia’s Top 30 and was also a highly-sought after prospect on the international market, getting a $4 million bonus to sign in July 2015. That means the Phillies invested $10.1 million in Moniak and Ortiz combined. The very early returns do point to it being money well spent.

Moniak hit .284/.340/.409 witih 10 steals in 176 at-bats during his pro debut in the GCL. He showed the various tools that made him the top pick in the Draft, most notably his feel for the game and baseball IQ.

“He was everything Johnny Almaraz and his staff said he’d be,” Phillies farm director Joe Jordan said, referring to the scouting director and scouts who evaluated Moniak as an amateur. “He’s a really good baseball player first. He has a plan. What separates him is that he has a much better plan and approach, he’s advanced for his age.”

Ortiz, just 17 years old, had a somewhat inconsistent United States debut. But he showed glimpses of the kind of dynamic offensive player he can develop into. Ortiz finished with a .231/.325/.434 line, with eight homers and 27 RBIs in 173 at-bats. He also showed more agility in the outfield than some anticipated.

“He had a couple of stretches this summer where we really saw some glimpses of what he has the chance to do,” Jordan said. “It’s going to be bat and power. He’s very athletic for his size. He has really good feet. He’s going to have an above-average arm. he’s going to be able to play the corner outfield.”

Both showed fatigue at the end of the GCL season, and Moniak had a minor hip flexor that kept him from finishing the season on the field. He’s expected to be fine, but he will be limited a bit during instructs.

“He’s participating, he’ll play in …

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