The Phillies Go for High School Amateur Mickey Moniak as First Pick in the 2016 MLB Draft

The Philadelphia Phillies announced 18-year-old Mickey Moniak as the No.1 pick during Thursday night’s Major League Baseball draft.

Moniak is due to play baseball at UCLA but is expected instead to sign with the Phillies according to the Inquirer.

“It’s insane,” the high-schooler from suburban San Diego said on the MLB Network.

The Phillies had the first overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft with many speculating that, along with his credentials, Moniak was chosen because of his likelihood of accepting a cheaper signing bonus — allowing the team to direct a considerable chunk of their budget to their second pick.

There has been a lack of consensus this year over who should get the top slot, the Inquirer says. Whether the Phillies chose right remains to be seen but as of now Moniak goes down in draft history as the eighth high-school outfielder to be a first pick.

[Inquirer]