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Aidan Miller
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
It might sound like a broken hamate is never good fortune, but the Phillies would be hard pressed to refute the claim. Miller looked like one of the best high school hitters in the 2023 Draft class after a tremendous summer showcase performance, but because he broke his left hamate, teams didn’t see him enough that spring, enabling him to land with the Phillies at No. 27 overall. He immediately returned their faith by hitting his way from Single-A to Double-A by the end of his first full season, with a stop at the Futures Game along the way.
Miller entered pro ball with a reputation for having tremendous raw pop, even if some thought he might be a power-over-hit type. He’s proven to have a solid approach and limit strikeouts while drawing walks, as well as having acumen at making adjustments as he’s seen new levels of pitching, doing things like cutting down the hitch and hand pump in his swing mechanics that some evaluators worried about. He’s improved his swing decisions, with confidence he could be an above-average hitter who knows he can get to his power naturally.
While Miller played shortstop in high school, nearly everyone thought he’d have to move to third as he continued to physically mature. But he’s only played short thus far as a pro, and he’s driven to prove he can stay at the premium position. He’ll keep getting time there, though the Phillies will expose him to third and second base in 2025, not because they think he has to move immediately, but so there are options when that middle-of-the-order bat is ready for Philadelphia.
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