Mickey Moniak was drafted first overall in 2016 out of La Costa Canyon High School by the Philadelphia Phillies. Since then, he has had an up-and-down career spanning parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball. After spending 2022-24 with the Los Angeles Angels, Moniak signed a one-year deal worth $2 million with the Colorado Rockies this offseason. To this point, the deal has worked out greatly for both sides, as Moniak has a resurgent season with Colorado.
Mickey Moniak Finding Success in Colorado
When the Rockies signed Moniak this offseason, it was a pretty quiet move. It was a low-risk, high-reward deal, taking a chance on the upside of a former No. 1 pick. Realistically, Moniak would serve as depth in a crowded Rockies outfield. Instead, he was hitting too well for the Rockies to keep him out of the lineup. He is currently fifth on the Rockies with 63 games played, playing 57 games in the outfield. Moniak played in 124 games last season with the Angels.
In 2023-24 with the Angels, Moniak recorded 28 home runs and 94 RBI across 741 plate appearances. While his production was essentially the same in both seasons, his batting average dropped from .280 in 2023 to .219 last season. Moniak is hitting just .239 this season. But his OBP and OPS are up from .266 to .292 and .646 to .765, respectively. Moniak has been scorching hot in June.
Per Statmuse, he is second in MLB among players who have played at least nine games in June with a 1.378 OPS. In 27 June at-bats, Moniak is hitting .370/.452/.926 in 27 at-bats. He has hit five home runs in his last nine games. Moniak hit just two home runs across 78 May at-bats and was hitting .216 at the end of May. He is heating up at the right time as the calendar turns to summer.
Power and Speed
Mickey Moniak’s 14 home runs last season tied 2023 for a career high. With 10 home runs already on June 20th, Moniak could potentially demolish that. As an everyday player for Colorado, the opportunity will certainly be there if Moniak stays hot. His speed has also been an asset for Colorado.
Per Statcast, Moniak is in the 87th percentile with a sprint speed of 28.7 ft/s. With that elite speed, Moniak can man center field at Coors when Brenton Doyle is not available. He has not been a big threat on the bases, with only three steals. But he has the speed to be a big threat for Colorado. Perhaps he only has three stolen bases because he spends so much time at third. Moniak leads the Rockies and is tied for fourth in MLB with five triples. He had only two triples in each of the last two seasons. His newfound offensive success can be attributed to his consistently finding hard contact.
Money Mickey
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Moniak’s Hard Hit Rate is Up
It is no surprise that Moniak’s career-high homer rate is coinciding with him finding quality contact often. Per Statcast, his Hard-Hit% is up from 34.4% last season to 46.3% this season, putting him in the 69th percentile league-wide. He is also squaring up balls 27% of the time, up from just 20.2% last season. He is punishing opposing pitchers when they misplace a fastball. His run value for 4-seam fastballs has gone from -2 last season to 3 this season. But it is not just the improved quality contact that has led to Moniak’s offensive resurgence.
Per Statcast, his first pitch swing% is down from 37.8% last season to 34.5%. Moniak is also swinging at pitches inside the strike zone just 66.5% of the time. From 2021-24, his ZSP did not drop below 71.4%, and it was 75.1% last season. The major change in approach has paid off for Moniak as his 79.1% zone contact rate is the highest of his career. He has been a more patient and selective hitter, and it has paid dividends.
For a Rockies offense that has struggled with way too many strikeouts and too few walks the last couple of seasons, Moniak is setting a good example with his approach. His 6.7% BB rate is up from 5.0% last season, and his K rate is down from 27.3% to 24.1%. Moniak finished with just 21 walks last season. With 13 already this season, he could easily surpass that.
Moniak is showing the traits that made him the number one overall pick coming out of high school. If his strong play continues, he will give the Rockies a tough decision to make regarding his future.
What Will the Rockies Do with Moniak Going Forward?
The Rockies are nowhere near contention, stuck in the MLB cellar at 17-58. Veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon and several quality relievers are the leading trade candidates for the Rockies. But if Moniak continues his resurgence offensively, he could draw some interest as well.
Since he’s playing under such a manageable contract, he would be an attractive option for a contender looking for a quality left-handed bat in the outfield. There is little risk for a contender in such a deal. If Moniak’s offensive improvement vanishes once he leaves the friendly confines of Coors Field, a contending team could easily use him as a platoon option and let him hit free agency this offseason. It would be a boon for the Rockies, who could sell high on Moniak after signing him as a depth option this offseason. But the Rockies might not trade him at all.
Agree with them or not, the Rockies are known to buck trends at the deadline. It would make sense for them to sell high on any value they have. But they have been known to keep talent in the past that was widely expected to be traded. At just 27 years old, it will be intriguing to see what the Rockies do with Moniak. He is young enough still that perhaps the Rockies feel they could extend him, and he could be a long-term option in the outfield. There has to be some talent left to build around in a rebuild, and maybe Mickey Moniak will be part of that group. But no matter what Colorado decides to do, the former No. 1 overall pick is making his presence felt again with the Rockies.
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