Medina, Moniak headline Double-A Reading All-Stars

The Philadelphia Phillies may be slumping, but there is plenty of good things going on in their minor league system. Four Double-A Reading players, including two top 10 prospects, will be going to the Eastern League All-Star Game set to take place in Richmond, Virginia, on July 10 at 7:05 p.m. Phillies No. 2 prospect Adonis Medina and No. 9 prospect Mickey Moniak lead Reading’s All-Stars. Right-hander Addison Russ and first baseman Darick Hall will also be heading to Richmond.

Medina, 22, appeared in the All-Star Futures Game last season for the Phillies, and this will be the second Minor League All-Star team he will be a part of during his professional career. Medina has been in the Phillies organization since signing a free agent deal back in 2014 and has steadily risen to the top of their prospect charts ever since. This season for Reading, he’s 5-3 with a 4.05 ERA and has been really strong in the majority of his recent starts. In five of his last six outings, Medina has held the opposition to two runs or less. In 90 career minor league games, Medina has a 3.33 ERA.

Moniak, 21, was drafted out of high school in the first round of the 2016 draft by the Phillies. Although his average sits at .268 overall this season, his bat has really come to life as the year has progressed. He hit .195 in April, but has followed that up with a slash line of .290/.215/.439 in May and .309/.380/.506 in June so far. Moniak has hit 18 doubles, a league-leading eight triples, four home runs and 36 RBIs. Over his last 10 games, he’s walked five times and struck out six, speaking to his improving discipline and approach at the plate. His triples are already five more than he had last year and he’s just one home run away from tying his mark from 2018. Moniak is second in the Eastern League in hits (71).

Russ, 24, has been one of Reading’s most steady relievers this season. Selected in the 19th round of the 2017 draft out of Houston Baptist, Russ has appeared in 28 games for the Fightin’ Phils, allowed just five earned runs while striking out 41 and walking just 10. He is 1-3 with a 1.57 ERA and has allowed just one run over his past 11 innings of work, spanning the last 10 games. In 99 career games at the minor league level, Russ has been a true example of ‘solid’, posting a 2.24 ERA over 124.2 innings.

Hall, 23, was drafted by the Phillies in the 14th round of the 2016 draft out of Dallas Baptist. He’s slashing .236/.325/.483 this season for Reading and leads the Eastern League in RBIs (51) and is tied for second in home runs with 14.