Mickey Moniak has been the disappointment. Now he wants to keep being the pleasant surprise.
The first overall pick by the Phillies in 2016, the outfielder never stuck with Philadelphia, where he spent parts of three seasons before being released. It was the same story with the Angels, where a breakout campaign in 2023 was followed by a fall-off in ’24 and then his release at the end of this year’s spring training.
That’s when the Rockies signed Moniak, and he’s played well enough in ’25 to warrant consideration to be part of the team’s rebuild going forward.
“I hope he feels like he’s found a home here, because I think he belongs,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He’s a very good player, which he’s shown all year. When he’s gotten his opportunities, he’s run with them. The sky is the limit for Mickey (in Denver).
“He’s been everything we’ve wanted him to be this year and more, and you definitely see the skills that made him a (first overall pick).”
Moniak, who is playing on a $1.25 million salary this season, has two arbitration years left. So he’s under Colorado control in ’26 and ’27, should the club see him fitting into its plans as the Rockies try to navigate a way forward following three straight 100-loss seasons.
The 27-year-old has only accounted for minus-0.5 bWAR this season and doesn’t light up the sabermetrics with his defense, but his glove is reliable enough at both corner outfield spots and as Brenton Doyle’s backup in center field. At the plate, he’s posted career highs across the board, including a scorching September in which he’s been one of Colorado’s best hitters.
“The whole year, I’m getting in the box and trying not to think about what my hands are doing or anything other than competing, trying to get a good pitch to hit and putting a good swing on it,” Moniak said. “I feel like I’m doing that right now.”
Considering he was a flier signing, Moniak is one of Colorado’s few roster successes this season.
Entering Wednesday, Moniak was slashing .326/.367/.587 with four homers and 10 RBIs this month. That includes a 4-for-4 performance on Sunday in San Diego with two homers and a career-high five RBIs, then another homer on Tuesday. On Sunday, he became only the third player since 1901 to record at least four hits, two homers, two steals and five RBIs in a single game, joining the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the Reds’ Brandon Phillips. It was a single game that encapsulated the potential Philadelphia saw in Moniak nine years ago.
Overall, Moniak has posted personal bests in games (127), runs (57), hits (109), triples (eight), homers (22) and RBIs (65) in 2025. And he’s been solid in the clutch, slashing .349/.398/.674 with runners in scoring position. That latter number is the third-highest slugging percentage with RISP in the majors.
All of that adds up to what Moniak hopes is an extended run in LoDo. The Rockies have had tabs on him since he was a prep star at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, Calif. The club ended up taking high school right-hander Riley Pint instead at No. 4 overall that year — a selection that ultimately did not work out.
“(The Rockies) took a chance on me early in the year after getting released, so I’m forever grateful to this organization,” Moniak said. “They’ve showed confidence in me since I was an 18-year-old kid. I’ve always known what I was capable of doing, and I feel like the Rockies have always known what I was capable of doing.
“I love being a Rockie, love Denver, love the fans. I hope to make a long-term home here for as long as I can.”
Despite being a few years south of 30, Moniak would be a veteran in the outfield should the Rockies re-sign him.
On the current 40-man roster, Doyle is the same age as Moniak. Beyond that, it’s a bunch of big-league pups in the forecast for ’26. Jordan Beck, Yanquiel Fernández and Zac Veen (currently in Triple-A) each have less than two years of service time, while prospects Sterlin Thompson, Jared Thomas and infielder/outfielder Charlie Condon could also rise to the majors next summer.
Southpaw Kyle Freeland thinks the Rockies should bring back Moniak, who would be a cost-effective veteran, to lead that young group alongside Doyle.
“I hope to continue to have him as a teammate,” Freeland said.
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