Mickey Moniak was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft. That was supposed to mean superstardom. Instead it meant years of shuttling between the Phillies and Angels, never quite sticking as an everyday guy, watching the label "former first overall pick" turn from promise into punchline. Colorado is where that finally flipped.
The Rockies and Moniak are finalizing a two-year extension worth $16.25 million that runs through the 2028 season, according to reports Monday night. The timing says a lot — this deal came together right around Monday's trade deadline, when Moniak had reportedly drawn interest as a rental. Instead of flipping him for prospects, Colorado chose to bet on him as a piece of the outfield going forward.
That bet is backed by results. Moniak, 28, has hit 17 home runs with 47 RBIs and an.863 OPS through 74 games this year — by far the best offensive stretch of his career. For a guy who spent his 20s getting passed around as a fourth outfielder, an.863 OPS is the kind of number that changes how a front office values you.
More on Mickey Moniak’s new deal with the Rockies (via @harding_at_mlb) https://t.co/g3uF9AjyeH
The structure of the deal is notable too. It covers what would've been Moniak's final year of arbitration eligibility in 2027 and buys out his first free-agent season in 2028, meaning Colorado is essentially locking in a discount on a player who, if this pace holds, was about to get expensive on the open market.
For a Rockies team that's been mostly irrelevant for years, keeping a productive, cost-controlled outfielder off the trade block and signed through 2028 is a small but real signal that they're trying to build something instead of just selling parts. Moniak's path — high pick, lost years, late bloomer — makes it an easy story to root for, even in Denver.