MLB Draft 2016: Phillies select Mickey Moniak with No. 1 pick
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announces the No. 1 pick by the Philadelphia Phillies during the draft, Thursday, June 9, 2016, in Secaucus, N.J. Credit: AP / Julio Cortez
SECAUCUS, N.J. — The Philadelphia Phillies have selected California high school outfielder Mickey Moniak with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
Moniak, from La Costa Canyon High School in south Carlsbad, is the first prep outfielder to be taken first overall since Tampa Bay drafted Delmon Young in 2003.
The selection Thursday night at MLB Network studios marks the first time the Phillies have led off the draft since they took Miami slugger Pat Burrell in 1998.
The left-handed-hitting Moniak is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and is considered a five-tool talent whose stock rose throughout his senior season.
He consistently hits to all fields with solid power to the gaps. Moniak is also an outstanding defensive player who has good speed and is expected to remain in center field in the pros.
