Road to The Show™: Phillies’ Miller
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at top Phillies prospect Aidan Miller. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. The Phillies have not been shy about challenging their
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at top Phillies prospect Aidan Miller. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here.
The Phillies have not been shy about challenging their top prospect, Aidan Miller.
In his first full season, the 20-year-old advanced from Single-A Clearwater to High-A Jersey Shore and, last week, was promoted again to Double-A Reading.
Across three levels, Miller is batting .261/.366/.446 with 11 homers, 28 doubles, six triples, 60 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 overall prospect is one of only five Minor Leaguers with as many doubles, triples and steals so far this season.
So far, Miller’s considerable power has been to the gaps. But those doubles should translate into more homers as he matures and gets stronger. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound infielder has a contact-first approach and has not looked overmatched against older or advanced competition.
Defensively, a shift to the hot corner from his natural position at shortstop has seemed inevitable since his amateur days -- especially as he matures physically. But he’s played exclusively at short in the Minors. His lone pro appearance at third base so far came during the Phillies’ Spring Breakout game against the Tigers.
“The second this kid stepped foot in the organization, I could’ve told you that he’s going to be ready for all challenges that come his way, just from the way he’s made, from a work ethic standpoint, from a mentality standpoint [and] how driven he is,” Phillies assistant general manager of player development Preston Mattingly told MLB.com last week. “He wants the challenges. And we just thought at this point, it’s time to challenge him. Let the upper-level competition gauge his offseason. If he struggles with a certain thing up there, it will help build a blueprint for his offseason. And if he goes up there and performs really well, it’s not going to change who he is.”
The Dunedin, Florida, native was born into the game of baseball. His father, Jason, was drafted by the Rangers in 1994 and his brother, Jackson, was a catcher in the Reds’ system before retiring this year.
Aidan Miller was something of a baseball prodigy, showing up on the national radar as early as middle school. He began a long career with USA Baseball that included three National Team appearances and three years in the National Team Development Program in 2016 on the 12U National Team that played in the COPABE Pan Am "A" Championship gold medal game. He was a member of the 2018 14U National Team Development Program, to which he’d return in 2021 and 2022.
He played in the U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas in 2019 and, in 2022, he led Team USA to a Gold Medal at the U-18 Baseball World Cup. Miller started all nine games of the tournament in right field, won the tournament’s batting title and was named to the All-World Team.
Over his first three seasons at J.W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida, Miller batted .385 (72-for-187) with eight homers, 47 RBIs and a 1.176 OPS.
During the 2022 All-Star break at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Miller was the MVP of the High School All-American Game and took home the title in the High School Home Run Derby.
Miller obviously had national recognition by the time he was Draft eligible last year. But he suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand in his first at-bat of his senior season. The injury may have caused him to slip in the Draft.
MLB Pipeline ranked Miller as the No. 13 prospect in his class. The Phillies, who were infatuated with his bat-to-ball skills and raw power, jumped on him with the No. 27 overall pick.
Miller signed for just above slot value at $3.1 million to forgo his commitment to the University of Arkansas and begin his pro career.
He hit the ground running in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, going 12-for-29 (.414) with a 1.011 OPS in 10 games. The Phillies bumped him up to Clearwater, where he showed some initial struggles before a strong postseason. In six games in the Florida State League playoffs, Miller went 8-for-23 (.348) and clubbed his first professional homer as the Threshers fell to Jupiter in the championship round.
Miller was hitless in two at-bats in his first and only Grapefruit League contest this spring. In the Spring Breakout game, he went 1-for-2 with an RBI single.
He returned to Clearwater to open the regular season and was hot out of the gate, batting .327 with four homers and 21 RBIs in his first 27 games. The Phillies promoted Miller to Jersey Shore in June and again showed some initial struggles before a terrific August. Over 25 games, he batted .299 with a .907 OPS, 13 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs.
In his final South Atlantic League game on Sept. 1, Miller went 5-for-5 with a homer and a double and was promoted to Reading the following day.
Miller’s season is likely to end this week as the Fightins’, who are not in Eastern League playoff contention, play their final series of the season. It’s also likely that he’ll return to Double-A to start next season, perhaps seeing more time at the hot corner as he continues to progress.
Gerard Gilberto is a reporter for MiLB.com.
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring
'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry. So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice. “His
Rainiers broadcaster Pay talks historic role on MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Prospect Santos 'electric' in Spring Breakout start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch. In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more
Switch-pitcher Cijntje deals from both sides in Spring Breakout
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening. The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,”
Fans in this Minor League town are hungry for ... the Spicy Meatballs?!?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Chandler adds mix to upper-90s heat in stellar Spring Breakout start
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- In the inaugural Spring Breakout game a year ago, as he was coming out to pitch the ninth inning, Bubba Chandler slammed a Red Bull and declared “let’s do this” before pumping upper-90s heat.