Historic lineup at Double-A Reading featured four No. 1 draft picks

Many fans of the Philadelphia Phillies make the trip to FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania at some point. Roughly 75-80 miles northwest of Philly, those fans make the trip to watch the Reading Fightin’ Phils, the club’s Double-A minor league affiliate.

Minor league baseball has its own attractions, with frequent giveaways and other promotional activities. There is often access to the players that you rarely get in a big-league ballpark, and the seating is fantastic in a more intimate setting.

Recently there was something even more exciting for fans who were able to get to Reading. For the first time in the history of the franchise, four Phillies first round draft picks were all being featured in the Fightins lineup at the same time.

The Phillies top prospect, 22-year-old third baseman Alec Bohm, was the club’s first round choice at third overall in the June 2018 MLB Draft out of Wichita State. Bohm was promoted last Thursday from High-A Clearwater after tearing through four levels of the system since being drafted last year.

Bohm made his home debut in Reading with a fantastic performance on Thursday night. “It was an outstanding game, all-around (for Bohm),” said Reading manager Shawn Williams per The Reading Eagle. “He did it all here tonight.”

Bohm has slashed .331/.406/.535 with nine home runs, 32 extra-base hits, 42 RBIs, and 43 runs scored over 298 plate appearances across three levels this season. It was just announced that Bohm has been selected to play for the United States team in the prestigious MLB Futures Game as part of the MLB All-Star festivities next month.

After making his big-league debut last month, outfielder Adam Haseley was also at Reading on a rehab stint. Haseley is back in the minors after suffering a left groin injury in early June. The club’s first round pick at 8th overall in 2017 out of the University of Virginia, the 23-year-old Haseley could find himself back in a Phillies uniform at any time now.

Haseley has slashed .274/.355/.479 this season over the two highest levels of the minors with eight homers, 21 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs, and 31 runs scored over 217 plate appearances. In two games with the Phillies, Haseley had a double and a walk, scoring two runs and driving in another.

The first overall pick of the entire 2016 MLB Draft, outfielder Mickey Moniak, struggled in his first couple of minor league seasons. But the 21-year-old Moniak, who was drafted out of a California high school, began to catch-up last summer and was recently selected for the Double-A All-Star Game.

Finally beginning to really break out, Moniak is slashing .262/.315/.434 with 31 extra-base hits, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, and nine steals in 72 games this year as he continues to advance incrementally one level at a time. He is slashing .284/.373/.474 in the month of June with a dozen extra-base hits.

Also drafted out of high school, Cornelius Randolph is a Georgia native selected at 10th overall in the 2015 MLB Draft. Randolph turned 22 years of age at the start of June, and is the one in this talented group who is still trying to figure things out.

Randolph is slashing just .237/.305/.367 with 16 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs, 22 runs scored, and five stolen bases over 236 plate appearances as he repeats the Double-A level. Last season with Reading, Randolph slashed .241/.324/.322, showing limited power and speed. After being drafted as a bat-first prospect, he simply has not progressed much to this point.

All four of these talented youngsters were playing together briefly at Reading, as Haseley has just been activated by the Phillies today and optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The other three may not be together for very long either. If Bohm continues to progress as he has to this point, he would put himself in line for another promotion, also to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, before the minor league season ends.

Now is the time to make a trip from Philly. If you plan it on the right night, you can even see these stud position prospects performing behind the club’s top pitching prospect, Adonis Medina. The 22-year-old right-hander is 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.292 WHIP over his first 13 Double-A starts this season.

 

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