Mickey Moniak

Mickey Moniak's Biography

McKenzie Matthew “Mickey” Moniak, fondly known to many as Mickey Moniak, was born on May 13, 1998. He is an established professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Before achieving such fame, Moniak’s love for baseball began at a young age. Graduating from La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California, he was an outstanding center fielder for his high school baseball team, achieving impressive statistics as early as his sophomore year, batting .461 with two home runs and 27 runs batted in (RBI).

As a junior in 2015, Moniak’s baseball credentials amplified as he hit .426 with a 1.062 on-base plus slugging (OPS). The same year, he showcased his skill-set at the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park, garnering recognition for his emerging talent.

In his senior year, Mickey Moniak was on fire, batting .476 with a .961 slugging percentage. During the 29 games, he rushed in 40 runs, imparted 12 triples (a San Diego Section record), seven home runs, and 46 RBI. As a result, he received multiple awards that year, including Baseball America High School Player of the Year, Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year, and San Diego Section Player of the Year. With the phenomenal high school baseball career, Mickey Moniak was committed to play college baseball for the UCLA Bruins at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

However, his plans for college were interrupted when the Philadelphia Phillies made him the first overall pick of the 2016 MLB draft. As the first pick, Moniak commanded a significant signing bonus of $6.1 million, which he finalized on June 20, 2016.

Moniak kicked off his professional baseball career with the Gulf Coast Phillies in 2016 in the Rookie-level. During his first professional season there, he showcased awe-inspiring numbers in 176 at-bats, batting an impressive .284/.340/.409. Moniak’s admirable performance and prospects led Baseball America to rank him the Number 17 prospect in baseball, and MLB.com positioned him at Number 19.

With time and experience, Mickey Moniak continually served his prowess through various positions. He had an eventful year in 2017 with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. He was named the best defensive player of his draft class; the tag of the second-best pure hitter also graced him.

Progressing further, Moniak miraculously continued his batting streak with the Class A-Advanced Clearwater Threshers for the 2018 season. The next year, he received an invitation to the Phillies Major League spring training camp, playing the 2019 season with Reading Fightin Phils of the Class AA Eastern League. He was even chosen to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions following the season.

In September 2020, Moniak was promoted to the major leagues and added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster. Along with various crucial moments like his first major league home run, Moniak managed to secure the Phillies’ Opening Day roster position after a noteworthy spring training performance in 2022.

However, in August 2022, Moniak was traded to the Los Angeles Angels and made his Angels debut the next day. Though his significant achievements had various ups and downs, from injuries to impressive stats, Moniak consistently proved his skill and worth.

Although Mickey Moniak was optioned to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees to begin the 2023 season, he was recalled in May, where he hit .280 with 14 home runs and 45 RBIs in 85 games. His love for baseball has followed him through his life, beginning with his grandfather, Bill Moniak, who played six years in the Boston Red Sox organization. From a young age, Mickey Moniak demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication to baseball, which has continuously taken him to new heights in his professional career.