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Thankful for time with Phillies, Mickey Moniak reflects on change of scenery

Mickey Moniak will return to Citizens Bank Park Monday. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

The calendar is about to flip to September, and the Philadelphia Phillies are comfortably in playoff position. Mickey Moniak will play in center field at Citizens Bank Park Monday night in front of what will almost certainly be a sellout crowd. Phillies fans use to pray for times like this.

Of course, this isn’t exactly how they envisioned said scenario playing out.

Moniak will return as a visitor Monday for the first time since he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels last August for RHP Noah Syndergaard. Moniak has finally had some success at the Major League level in 2023, but it’s come for an Angels team that feels increasingly snake-bitten as they head for their ninth consecutive season without a playoff appearance.

Nonetheless, the former No. 1 pick was upbeat when he met with a group of Philadelphia media members Monday, happy to return to Citizens Bank Park but seemingly aware that a fresh start last summer was best for all parties involved.

“It’s really good to be back,” Moniak said in the visitor’s clubhouse Monday afternoon. “You know, this is the place that I grew up. For as tough as times were for me personally, being here I think made me into the player that I am today. I’m forever grateful for being a part of the Phillies organization.”

In the hours prior to the trade deadline last summer, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski completed two separate trades with the Angels to help bolster the Phillies as they tried to snap a 10-year postseason drought of their own.

Blocked by All-Star J.T. Realmuto, catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe was traded to the Angels for outfielder Brandon Marsh, who has an .826 OPS in 147 games since being traded to the Phillies.

The second trade, as mentioned above, was Moniak for Syndergaard. The Phillies didn’t get the flame-throwing version of Syndergaard, who was once one of baseball’s most exciting talents, but the veteran righty still helped the franchise to reach the World Series.

Moniak obviously wasn’t a part of that playoff run, but just like Johan Camargo and JoJo Romero have earlier on this homestand, he’ll receive his National League Championship ring from Dombrowski and managing partner John Middleton on field prior to Monday’s series opener between the Phillies and Angels.

And he’s excited for it.

“[It’s] special,” Moniak acknowledged. “It was awesome to watch that run last year, and just kinda see the guys I grew up with … some of my best friends to this day just have success and do what everybody in this game wants to do, and that’s get to a World Series and play in the playoffs. Unfortunately [they] came up a little short. I think just getting that ring it’ll definitely bring back some good memories of just being a part of that group and just the relationships I built over there.”

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On various occasions over the last three seasons, the Phillies hoped Moniak would run with the opportunity to be their starting center fielder. It never happened. He was probably too green in 2020 and 2021, and just when he had locked up the Opening Day center fielder’s job in 2022, he suffered a fracture in his right hand during the team’s final Spring Training game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

When he returned from said injury, Moniak was pretty much unplayable, slashing .130/.184/.152 with 19 strikeouts in 46 at-bats. It wasn’t particularly shocking when the Phillies parted ways with Moniak for a rental prior to the trade deadline.

To his credit, Moniak has finally looked the part of a Major Leaguer in 2023, at times performing like an impact player. After opening the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, Moniak slashed .313/.346/.567 with a .913 OPS between May 13 and July 31.

What’s allowed Moniak to have success in Los Angeles that he didn’t have in Philadelphia?

“I think just being older … having that experience under my belt,” Moniak said. “Going through the failures … going through the ups, the downs at the big league level … obviously, last year I wasn’t healthy virtually the entire year. I think that’s one of the bigger things too, is just being healthy this year.

“Just being able to play every day, being able to go out there and learn, just kind of learn on the fly … get better each and every day … I think that’s just kinda been the huge reason for the success.”

There are still some concerning signs with Moniak as a player. He’s hitting just .157 with a .365 OPS in 51 at-bats against left-handed pitching this season, so even at his best, Moniak may need to be part of a platoon. In general, he’s struggled in August, striking out 36 times in 77 at-bats.

Still, the Angels are a 63-68 team that has plummeted since general manager Perry Minasian pushed his chips to the center of the table prior to the trade deadline. While the potential for Tommy John surgery has complicated his upcoming free agency, there’s still a good chance two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani departs Los Angeles (or Anaheim, at least) this offseason. Unlike the Phillies, the Angels have time for Moniak to go through trials and tribulations as a young player, because whether they admit it or not, they’ll probably soon be rebuilding.

And so, Los Angeles has turned out to be a good place for the 25-year-old to get on-the-job training — certainly much better than Philadelphia was.

“The term change of scenery, I think there’s a lot that goes into it,” Moniak said. “For me, I’m an hour away from home being in Anaheim. That’s been nice, just being able to see family and stuff like that.

“Last year, being a part of the Phillies organization, they were built to win,” he continued. “And there were guys out there that were getting paid. There wasn’t a huge leash for me, and for good reason. That team over there was built to win, they made the run that they did because that’s where they were at as an organization. Being able to come over here last year and get a month-and-a-half under my belt of just playing, that’s been huge for me. But yeah, I think last year, the change of scenery … like I said, there’s a lot that goes into that saying … but I think it has been good.”