Moniak continues hot start in first full season

Playing under bright lights and lofty expectations is not something every player can handle, but Mickey Moniak is thriving under those conditions.
The Phillies' second-ranked prospect plated the go-ahead run with a 10th-inning double and went 3-for-5 with three RBIs on Saturday as Class A Lakewood outlasted Kannapolis, 8-4, at Intimidators Stadium.

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"If a key situation comes, you want to be that guy in that situation," Moniak said. "I think that's just what a baseball player who loves the game wants to do. You want to be that guy in that situation to put your team ahead."
The No. 1 overall pick in last year's Draft opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the first before singling in the third and adding an RBI double in the eighth. After the game went to extra innings, Moniak drove a pitch from right-handed reliever Danny Dopico to right field in the 10th to plate Phillies No. 19 prospect Daniel Brito as the BlueClaws remained perfect to start the season.
"I felt good at the plate and was just sticking with my approach and not getting out of my comfort zone," Moniak said. "I was just doing my best to put the ball in the play and hit for whatever situation it was."
After batting .284/.340/.409 in 46 games in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League last summer, Moniak implemented a training regimen that he hopes will produce results on the field.
"There was a lot of strength training, a lot of adding muscles," said Moniak, who gained 20 pounds since the Draft. "I went to Philly strength camp for a month in November and that helped out a lot. I gained some weight there and went in the offseason and continued what I was doing and eased my way back in baseball activity. I felt like I got after it and I'm excited to see what happens the rest of the year."
So is everyone else as the label of "No. 1 overall pick" carries a burden. Moniak, however, said he pays little mind to those things.
"I don't look at it like that," said MLB.com's No. 18 overall prospect. "I love baseball first and foremost, so I just have to go out and play my game every day and try to help my team win, that's my biggest thing. I'd rather go 0-for-4 and win than 4-for-4 and lose. I've said that since I was in high school.
"I've been playing the game for 18 years and I'm not going to change a thing. Obviously, there will be some hiccups along the way, but it's a game at the end of the day, it's supposed to be fun. You can't look at it as a pressure situation."
After Saturday's performance, the 18-year-old center fielder boasts a .429 batting average with five RBIs through his first three games in the South Atlantic League.
"There's a good amount of people watching every day and you're playing at stadiums instead of backfields at Spring Training complexes, so it's fun," Moniak said. "I think for me, personally, it just gives me a little bit extra juice to perform and do my best. It's obviously nothing compared to the higher levels or the big leagues, but I'm just excited and looking forward to hopefully win some ballgames for my team this year."
Alex Wojciechowski and Henri Lartigue both contributed two hits for the BlueClaws, while Cord Sandberg tied the game with a solo homer in the ninth.