High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - LIVE REACTION: Aidan Miller, You Are A Philadelphia Phillie

Episode Date: July 10, 2023

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies drafting Aidan Miller in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Seltzer is obviously in bed, morning show. Frankly, disappointed. I'm a little bit out of breath because I am so freaking excited. I have three sets of stairs here that I have to run up and down. I forgot a pen because I want to make sure I got a pen. Aiden Miller is a Philly. Aiden Miller is a Philly. And to me, this is a guy that should have gone top 15. I think he's a guy that honestly,

the only reason to me he fell was because he had a broken hand or a broken handmaid bone in the spring. So he wasn't able to get on a field. And he was a little bit late. And I feel like when draft prospects don't get on the field, scouts get worried bit late. I feel like when draft prospects don't get on the field, scouts get worried about him. Scouts are like, I got to see him play more. This is a pedigree kid. This is a kid that I think had he not had a broken handmaid bone, probably goes a little bit higher. Frankly, given the amount of money that the Phillies, I didn't think they had the money to be able to design Aiden Miller. I don't think this is going to be under slot. I think this is going to be probably right around the slot. So like two some million, either way, like,

I'm so happy. I'm so happy at how they are starting to turn this thing with the draft. And they're going after high school players. They're not afraid to take high school players. And to me, you take those guys late because you bank on, if they go to college, they're probably top 10 picks. I think Aiden Miller, if he goes to college, is a top 10 pick in a couple years. But you take him at 27, and you bank on the upside,

and you bank on him working with your hitting coordinators. I mean, the turn that a lot of the hitters in the system have taken in so far, it makes me more encouraged about taking a guy like Aiden Miller and getting the most out of him. You look at what De La Cruz has done this year. You look what Johan Rojas has done this year. You look at Justin Crawford early already. Uh, he's batting over 300 and was in the, in the, in the futures game.

And he was a guy who I think people thought was a couple of years away from, from showing signs of growth at the, at the plate. So it feels like the fills are already having a nice turn here. Some of the prospects that kind of felt like they were petering out and they weren't getting the most out of hitting-wise, they're starting to become developed. I mean, it even goes up to Scott Kingery. I mean, Scott Kingery in his last 28 games is batting.333 with 1,000-plus OPS.

You're seeing it at all levels of of how they are turning this whole thing around and you know john middleton has made it a a point uh i believe throughout the entire organization to say we got to get the player development thing right because if you look at all of our success our long-term success it's happened around player development we know what happened in the 70s we know what happened with chase jimmy ryan cole like we know how those teams were built and they're starting to turn here it doesn't happen overnight i know they said the phillies are ranked 21st in the in the farm system rankings whatever uh getting a guy like aiden miller who uh again had he not had the broken uh handmade bone

first off i don't think he's there at 27 he's played in all the big circuits he's he's he's been on people's watch for years he's drafted as a as a shortstop i think he ends up as a third baseman but you're talking about like a high impact third baseman you're talking about um a guy who i think there's 30 homer potential there and uh you know he he he so as they go along here and as they continue to to develop this thing like you you start to see what can that can they eventually be um it it's probably too early to say he's the Reese replacement because Reese is probably going to be gone after this year. But we'll see what happens with Boehm if he continues to develop.

I think that Aiden Miller, like 21, 22, I think he's going to be a fast riser. He hits everywhere. All he does is hit. Like he looks like, like he just wakes up and rakes. He's got a power swing. Uh, I mean, one of the comments here, Matt says, uh, Josh Johnson comp. I see it.

Uh, I see a little bit of Austin Riley and what's exciting about Aiden Miller and, and where he can project to is you look at him, right? And you see that he can fill that out. And the fact that they took an 18-year-old that – well, actually, he's going to be 19, which is probably another reason why he fell. There's nothing that drives me more crazy than we're not going to take a 19-year-old because he's an old high schooler.

Just take a good player. Just take a good player. Just take a good player. It's not this hard. We don't have to try to fool ourselves and trick ourselves into not taking a good player because he's a 19-year-old high schooler. And then the fills are the beneficiary of that. And he's going to get stronger.

He's going to fill out that frame. Like he's, he's, he's gonna get stronger. He's gonna fill out that frame. Um, and when he does like the, the potential is there to, to have a 30 home run guy, like maybe two 80, whatever they can stick at a corner. Um, you know, whether they want to make him a third baseman, whether they want to make him a first baseman, like, I think he has the kind of bat to where he can um he can make a pretty big impact pretty fast uh and and again i just keep thinking about the philosophy as to where they're coming from and i know it seems like they're taking a ton of a ton of high school guys but like the padres have had one of the best farm systems in the sport for the last i don't know six seven years.

They've been able to trade for a ton of players. They've been able to have players come up and be great, or they've been able to ship them out and get great players in return. Where did Preston Mattingly come from? Preston Mattingly, Brian Barber has drafted a ton of high school kids so far, but Preston Mattingly comes from the the padres and the padres all they do is draft high school like all they do all they do is draft high school because if you get them in your development system you have a better chance i believe than than letting them go to school and

whatever or or trying to play it safe and draft one of these college kids. It's such a nice change of pace watching what Brian Barber and that Phillies draft process thing. It's been so refreshing. It started with Mick Abel where it was like, oh, the Phillies obviously are just going to take whoever can get to the majors the fastest. And Brian Barber's come in here and he's taking shots. He's taking shots on upside. And as a fan, that's all I can ask for.

Like, if you are on the doorstep of the World Series, whatever, and you want to get a starter, knock yourself out. Like, fine. But I want upside. And I want guys that I believe if they go. Like, fine. But I want upside. And I want guys that I believe if they go to school, end up being top 10 picks. And that's what I think Aiden Miller is.

That's what Mick Abel is if he goes to school. That's what Andrew Painter is if he goes to school. That's what Justin Crawford is if he goes to school. And guess what? Given where the fills are and where they've been drafting, like you're probably not going to get those guys because they're too good on the, on the, on the field or they're, yeah, they're too good. Um, you know, as a baseball team. So I was, I was getting nervous. I really was the Cardinals took Chase Davis, which was soul crushing. Um, and you know, I mean, like the Cardinals have

just been doing this the last couple of years, so I'm sure he's going to be really good. They've kind of been nailing the draft the last couple years. And the hope, honestly, the Aiden Miller thing, it reminds me a ton of when Jordan Walker fell. Speaking of the Cardinals, Jordan Walker was a guy who was high pedigree that fell. And the Cardinals got him in the 20s, and he turned out at one point to be the best prospect in baseball

and has come up and shown to be pretty good. So I can't wait to dig in. Like, I can't wait to, you know, obviously I'm happy doing the live stream. I was getting so nervous it was going to be Thomas White or someone that I just, just like was not totally sold on and then i was gonna have to come on and and lie to you and say oh this guy's gonna be he's gonna be great he's this good lefty whatever um and i turned my phone on airplane mode i put it on airplane mode so i couldn't lock in i i just i didn't want texts i wanted to be able to feel the pit and feel the reaction. And I kid you not, and maybe this is embarrassing. I kid you not. I let out a bang, like a real strong fist bump. Um, because it's, it's, it's such a home run pick, even if it doesn't work out. Like, obviously I can give you all the comps i can sell you all you want there's a

there's a chance it's not going to work out and i and i totally get that um but it's the right kind of risk it's the right kind of upside pick it's the right kind of um you know chance at at getting a special player at 27 that probably should not have been there and only fell because of an injury. Now, the interesting part to me is that I'm very curious to see how this affects the rest of the draft because they had the least amount of money heading into the draft. And without getting too nuts and bolts, you have slot alignments. Sometimes you go under slot at the first round pick so that you can spread that money out throughout the rest of the draft.

It's my assumption. I don't know it, but it's my assumption that Aiden Miller would cost the full slot. So they likely will have less money to spend throughout the draft. But frankly, I mean frankly just take the best player take the high schooler take the top 15 talent on the board and and if it screws the rest of the draft i get it but you have to go for difference makers you have to go for difference makers and there's a

part of me that is definitely excited that it's a bat. You know, I, I listen, you know, me, I love pitchers. I love pitchers.

Um, but I, I trust where this team has gotten to, um, with the pitching development that they can find guys throughout and let them develop and come on their own. And, um,

you know, I think they're, they do a good job of getting more out of the players than, than not the hitting stuff. Um, you know, up and down the system. I think a lot of the guys are,

are, uh, lower that are showing some promise, you know, clear water Lakewood. Um, and they just needed an influx of, of bats.

They did. They need an influx of bats. They did. They need an influx of bats. They need guys that can get up here and be difference makers where you're not having to go spend $300 million. And, you know, I just, it's such a refreshing turn. I know I said that earlier, and I get it. And am I running on pure excitement while recording this? Yes, I am running on pure excitement. And there's no one to stop me. There's no seltzer to stop me. He doesn't have to go to

bed. But I think about the drafts of the past where it felt safe and every player felt safe. And I think what has me most excited about the direction of the Phillies, and again, doesn't happen overnight. None of this happens overnight. It takes a long time, I believe, to turn a farm system. I think the Phillies are starting to do that. But what makes me excited is that they're taking swings at upside. Like Justin Crawford hits the ball extremely hard,

but he just drives it into the ground but can you work with him to to drive it out of the ballpark can you work with him to start driving the ball he's already hitting over 300 he's already not striking out of time now it's about lifting andrew painter um a pedigree guy that you know i fell because i think people are afraid of high school alarms. And the Phillies are like, all right, well, we'll sit back and take them. Nick Abel was the best right-handed pitching prospect in the country that year as a high school alarm. But teams are scared off by high school alarms,

and they're scared off by high school players. It's why there was a run in the middle of this draft of just college bats. Because subpar organizations are drafting in there. And they're just worried about getting a pick right. And what gives me so much confidence about where they're going is they're not worried about... It doesn't feel like a job security pick none of this feels like a job security pick and i and you you don't take a high school third baseman off an arm injury if you don't feel confident in your job status and i would much

rather have that than we're gonna take like i don't know like jacob like Jacob Gonzalez with the 15th pick or whoever, like these boring college picks. It's just it's it's great. I just I I think they killed it. I really did. I think that Aiden Miller is a guy that is going to totally fill out. He's going to get stronger. I think the swing is already powerful. I love that.

I love the little load he has where it's just like that looks like a guy that is going to rake. Sometimes you can just tell when a guy is going to rake. Unfortunately, I have to admit, Austin Riley is that kind of guy. I look at Aiden Miller, and I see a little bit of Austin Riley. I really do. I see a little bit of Austin Riley, a little bit of Donaldson. It's power. It's a glove that I think can fit at third base.

But either way, it's a massive swing. It's a swing on upside. It's a chance at, you know, a 30 home run guy at 27 that's going to be up pretty young. And I just think he killed it i think i think the phillies killed it tonight uh if you want to get in like little youtube comments obviously like i was about to uh i was about to throw out the phone number 215-592-9494 obviously that's not gonna work um but if you want to throw some some some youtube comments in there i would try to read them as i go

um but either way overall i think it's just i i i really really think it's a home run um a lot of people you know some comments about yo-yo uh yo-yo morales like the funny part about aiden miller is that i think if he went to, he ends up being better than Yo-Yo Morales. And Yo-Yo Morales is a guy who I would have been very happy with. He turned into a major power threat at the University of Miami. But if you're sizing up, do I want to take Yo-Yo Morales, who in high school I don't believe was as good as Aiden Miller, and then developed into this player, or just take the the guy now i'd rather just take the guy now i'd rather just take aiden miller and i'd rather just uh bet on my bet on my development staff kind of uh you know

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or wherever you get your podcasts. Kevin McGonigal. I mean, I know a lot of people were rooting for them to take the local kid. I think he's going to be a good player. It's not like an anti-Kevin McGonigal thing. I think he's just like a second baseman. And I'll take a chance on 30 home run upside at the corners, which they need desperately, by the way.

Like if you look at the prospects, I mean, Daily Cruz is developing some power. They don't really have a power prospect. You know, they have Justin Crawford is a guy they just took last year. He's not a power guy. Even like Stott, like Stott's not a huge power guy, great hitter, but not a power guy. Boehm, we keep dreaming on the power, but are we ever going to see the power?

I don't know. But you look up and down, and Gabriel Rincones, I think, could be a power guy, but we'll see. He's already showing some signs of that so far. But Aiden Miller, I think, gives them, again, a chance at 30-plus homers from one of the corner spots, which is just what you need, especially if Boehm's not going to really become a huge power guy. And it's not like the worst thing to live with, you know,

280, 330, 475 slug, 450 slug. Obviously, we're waiting for him to tap into his power, but we see um but i think aiden miller gives you a legitimate chance at at um you know a pretty big upside uh sports kingdom's okay with the pick but he's more intrigued with the following rounds i just they don't have a fifth round pick they don't have a second round pick they have a third and fourth round pick and i think my my general feel is that ada miller is going to cost them probably close to slot because what was worrying me was i felt like a lot of the good high school kind of players were being floated down by the mariners because the mariners have a ton of money um like colin i'm not i'm not watching anymore but i assume col Colin Howe got picked by the Mariners.

And I think for the Phillies to get Aiden Miller there, they probably have to go full slot. So I don't know if they have much money for the rest of the draft. They already had the least amount heading into the draft or like one of the least amounts heading into the draft. So I don't know if this is going to, I think that the rest of the draft is going to be just kind of senior bats and senior arms and stuff like that.

Philly is finally making the right process picks, even though the results aren't guaranteed. Yeah, I mean, to me, this is what smart organizations do. I know that college players are safe, and there's obviously some upside, but it's just so much more, more tantalizing and so much more exciting when you get a guy who's only there because people are scared off by high school bats and high school talent in general.

And you're taking a shot on that upside. And this is, this has been my thing for the last couple of years where it's like, maybe like in, in three years said high school players can be better than whatever college pick you're making right now like i would damn near guarantee that if aiden miller went to school that he ends up being a top 10 pick at some point. You know, that's generally how I feel about the top high school talent in the draft. I mean, Aiden Miller, again, I've watched the high school All-American game

like three times. He started in it. He had a good defensive play early. And I think that if you're one of those guys that's starting in that game, you're a difference maker. You are something that you've caught the eye of a ton of people.

And I think the only reason that Aiden Miller is a Philly tonight is because of the injury in the spring. And it's a hammock bone. It's not like arm surgery or anything. It was a break. And I think scouts got scared off by that. So I just... It's an exciting night.

It's an exciting night. From Adam Dexploits, yes, I think Seltzer probably went to bed two hours ago. But it's okay because he's going to wake up with a freakout text of Aiden Miller's affiliate, which is just, it's a great night. It's a great night. From Anonymous, we're seeing all the results in the stats, the minors, but nobody's talking about calling any of them up. Why is that?

Do they think there's no hitters able to help the big league club? I think they're – so Johan Rojas is pretty close, I think. I think De La Cruz is pretty close. I just don't know where you're playing them. You know, like they have Marsh in center field. Pache is developing pretty well. De La Cruz, like if they want to go crazy, I think he could play first base

if they wanted to go nuts. I think you're seeing more of the growth of the hitting side of player development more in the lower levels of the minor leagues and in some of the international in the summer league kind of things.

Again, it's a slow process. They had a turn from the previous regime where it felt like a lot of players were reaching the point and just kind of stopping. What's been encouraging and frankly exciting about what is happening in the minor league system now is that you're seeing some of the prospects that were plateauing, it seemed like,

starting to develop and starting to turn a corner and have breakout years like Johan Rojas, like Ethan Wilson, like De La Cruz. Justin Crawford coming in and being good immediately was not a top 100 prospect at the beginning of the year. Now he's in there. He was starting in the futures game at at 80 18 years old so um that's that's exciting stuff uh brand slicker are they

gonna be able to sign him i assume so you know if not they're gonna be able to get a pick for it but i i really do think that he's gonna be able to um sign uh adan miller compared himself to austin riley great awesome That's exciting. That makes me happy because if he's off, I got to swallow my pride here. He's Austin Riley. We're all doing jumping jacks. Yeah, the Braves took Hurston Waldrop. And I'm just telling you, they're going to get the most out of him and he's going to be sick in a couple of years. I know like he wasn't great in the LSU game, but like, I think the split changeup is one of the best pitches in baseball already.

Like it's, it is stupid. So unfortunately, yes, the, the Braves got it right. And I was actually, I was actually hoping he was going to be there at 27 early. It was like, I'm not lying. It's like, oh, Harrison Waldron was going to be there at 27, or it was. I'm not lying and saying, oh, Hurston Waldron's going to be terrible. I think the Braves are going to get the most out of him. And he'll be up, and he'll be haunting our dreams for a while. You know, being a nightmare for a while. So, yeah, I think they killed it with that kind of pick.

No, a high hopes voicemail line. That'd be something. Wow, Houck's still on the board? it with that kind of pick. No. High hopes voicemail line. That'd be something. Wow. Houck's still on the board? That's crazy. Mariners took... Oh, the Mariners took Farmelo? That's another one of my boys. I think he's going to be awesome. I think he's a classic. If he goes to

Virginia, he ends up as a top 10 pick. Much like Aiden Miller. But overall, I appreciate all of the comments and all the good times and the good vibes. I continue to believe and will still continue to believe that for years, when all you hear about is the Phillies are bad developing and they are, they don't know what they're doing. And, and you,

we all know you can't buy your way to a championship. I think what they are, what is happening and, and, and what is turning is going to pay massive dividends. And as these, these, we get out of the primes of some of the players that are here now,

like the fact that you go Miller, Crawford, Painter, Abel, Griff, you know, like Bergola, Stalin Kaba, like there's just good things happening under the surface here. There's a lot of, I've used the Nick Sirianni kind of thing a lot with the whole the roots under the surface and they're growing. I think that's happening

with the Phillies. I can't give enough credit to Brian Barber. I can't. His staff and what they're doing and just continuing to take swings because that's what Aiden Miller is. He's a swing and they're not shying away from it

because they don't have the most slot money. They're taking these guys and they're banking on their development system. And I know I brought it up earlier, but bringing a guy like Preston Mattingly who oversaw the the padres be able to turn these high schoolers into good enough players to not only make their team but also be traded um and knowing what it took to get those guys there i think that's what makes me honestly

the most excited is is that we have guys who are in place that oversaw what other teams and what made them successful at doing it here now and if Aiden Miller frankly was drafted by by Klintzak or if he was drafted in previous regimes it'd probably be a huge waste of time you know it probably would be one that like they're not to get the most out of them. But I think that's changing. And I think that's over. And I think that what they are doing and how they're developing these guys and taking shots

on very, very high pedigree, high school talent is just going to pay dividends. Whether it's in trades or whether they make it to the big league club. Like in a perfect world, Aiden Miller comes up to my third baseman in 2026 and he's going to be a 30 home run guy for me

for a while. But what's starting to happen here and what is the reality of the situation is that the Phillies are in what they believe is a World Series window. They are in a World Series window right now with a lot of players in their prime sort of starting towards the

the exit of their prime and and the fact that you might need to maximize that window so maybe aiden miller gets traded but it's for some stud to make this team even better um it's it's an exciting time and it's an exciting time the big league club is is playing well there is uh you see what you see what they're able to do in maximizing some of the talent they're able to go get and and turn into something like jeff hoffman junior marty christian pache and then you see everything that's happened in the minor leagues and um brian barber uh was it brian barber i think it's probably yes brian barber and inber in his pre-draft media availability said, we want to build a monster here.

And I mean, I get a little, you know, get some chills thinking about that. But I just, doing things like taking Aiden Miller at 27 is developing into a monster. And for anyone saying like, well, you know, he wasn't a top 15 pick, whatever. Like Austin Riley was like a second round pick like it happens all the time the nlb draft is not like other drafts it's it's it's hard to to uh place a finger on who's gonna be good this that whatever um i'm

just telling you right right kind of upside um i would have taken him with that pick. I would have definitely taken Halk as well. He seems to be sliding for some reason. Again, I haven't been watching. But I just leave tonight saying, wow, what a win. There was no one really on the table that I would have rather had besides maybe Halk. Massive win. Walker Martin, I obviously would have loved.

I think he's going to be really, really good as well, but frankly, I wasn't sure Aiden Miller was going to be there. I thought Walker Martin was going to be there, so I didn't pump up Aiden Miller as much as I am now talking about him. I didn't think he was going to be there.

I didn't think he was going to be there. I'm surprised a plus power high school kid that only is falling because of an arm injury, that's not like a tendon tear. I'm surprised that that fell to the Phillies. So either way, a big night, an exciting night. It's one that I hope we look back on a couple of years saying, wow, man, they got Aiden Miller at the 27th pick. So either way, come hang out Tuesday night. We'll have some Aiden Miller lights for Phil's wins. Yeah, so Tuesday night, Seltzer and I, we are at Time Out on Pine

watching the All-Star game. We'd love to talk draft. Frankly, can't wait to get off this and start watching as much Aiden Miller as I possibly can. Damn it. How come that that's not fun. Um, either way, Aiden Miller's Philly. So, um, come hang out Tuesday.

We'll talk draft. Uh, and then we'll see what happens. The, the rest of the, um, you know, the rest of the draft, I don't know. We'll see if they can go out and, and, and spend money on some other high, high pedigree, um, high school kids. We'll see if they can go out and spend money on some other high pedigree high school kids. We'll see if they can do that. I assume it's going to be a struggle because I think Aiden Miller signed for a full slot, if I had to guess.

So either way, exciting times. We'll be reacting to it all in high hopes. We'll have full draft breakdowns. And the fact that I just went a half hour just ranting and raving and being excited about Aiden Miller. What a night. Beautiful night. And a good way to cap off the end of the week. So I hope everyone has a great week.

We'll be back reacting to everything that happens. Aiden Miller is a Philly. Might be time to celebrate.