Should the Colorado Rockies bring back Mickey Moniak?

Like everyone else, I wondered what the Colorado Rockies were thinking when they signed Mickey Moniak just prior to the start of the 2025 season. (He has been released by the Los Angeles Angels on the final Tuesday of spring training and his deal with the Rockies became official on Thursday, the eve of their season opener with the Tampa Bay Rays.)

Wait. Another left-handed outfielder?

But the heart wants what it wants — in this case, a former first-round draft pick that general manager Bill Schmidt had scouted earlier.

“The fact that the Rockies organization has always shown interest in getting me over here makes me feel at home,” Moniak told Thomas Harding shortly after joining the team.

Clearly, Moniak, 26, has come to feel even more comfortable in his new Rocky Mountain home.

It’s worth taking a moment, then, to consider Moniak’s history, where he is now, and if, perhaps, the Rockies should consider bringing him back for 2026.

Can you provide some background?

Moniak attended La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California, where he was the kind of player with a clear future in baseball. He was, among other things, the Baseball America High School Player of the Year as well as the Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year.

That’s in California, where there’s no end to the baseball talent.

The Philadelphia Phillies selected Moniak as the first overall pick in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He worked his way through the Phillies farm system until September 16, 2020, when he was added to the 40-man roster and made his first MLB appearance. However, he was unable to hit consistently when given an opportunity.

During his time with the Phillies, Moniak had 104 plate appearances and finished his time there with a slashline of .129/.214/.172 with an OPS+ of 9. (That is not a typo.)

He was with the Phillies until August 2, 2022 when he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Noah Syndergaard.

Moniak saw more playing time with the Angels. During his three years there, he had 803 plate appearances and slashed .242/.279/.430 with an OPS+ of 94, so still below league-average but better than he’d fared in Philadelphia. (Moniak said earlier this year that his play in 2024 had been hampered by injuries and that he was fully healthy entering 2025.)

Enter the Rockies.

How’s he been as a Rockie?

Probably the Rockies intended to use Moniak as a fourth outfield bat, someone to give Brenton Doyle an occasional day off. However, given Doyle’s early injuries and personal issues, Moniak saw regular playing time. When Warren Schaeffer took over as interim manager, he embraced a more platoon-centric roster strategy that saw Moniak used more strategically.

Currently, Moniak is slashing .259/.297/.494 with an OPS+ of 107. He’s also hit 18 home runs, which is second-most on the Rockies roster. (All stats are current as of Tuesday.)

That said, a couple of notes are in order.

First, he was better in the first half (126 OPS+) than in the second (95 OPS+). In addition, it’s important to note that he is very much a Coors Field creation. Currently, his OPS+ at Coors is 144 compared to 86 on the road.

His defense is a work in progress — and it’s not always pretty. He’s spent 74 innings in left field and earned -2 DRS; in center, he’s got -7 DRS in 220 innings played; and in right, where he’s played 410 innings, Moniak has -8 DRS. None of the other advanced defensive metrics are any more generous.

Moniak has been a marginal defender at best.

Should the Rockies bring him back?

Currently, he’s on a one-year, $1.25 million contract — his arbitration arrangement with the Angels makes that a little more complicated, but, in short, he was an inexpensive addition.

Here’s how he compares with his fellow Rockies outfielders according to FanGraphs:

Moniak has barely been above replacement level — only Tyler Freeman has played worse defense — so while he’s had some important hits, it’s not like he’s irreplaceable.

Plus, there are plenty of young players waiting for their moment: Yanquiel Fernández would benefit from more playing time. Sterlin Thompson has been raking in Triple-A Albuquerque, and lefty Zac Veen is healthy with a modified swing and improved numbers. Then there’s Cole Carrigg in Double-A Hartford in addition to Benny Montgomery — and those are just the first names to come to mind.

It’s fair to question whether bringing back Moniak in 2026 would be the most effective use of a roster space.

Before the trade deadline, Moniak made clear that he was satisfied with playing in Colorado.

“I would love to stay,” Moniak told Sean Keeler. “I’ve said it the whole time since I’ve got here. The Rockies have always shown confidence in me as a player. When I got released . . . they were the first to call.
“I love the city of Denver. The fans have been awesome, even through this tough stretch of games we’ve been playing. So, yeah, we’d definitely love to be a Rockie for as long as possible. If I were to get traded, I’m just grateful to be playing.”

(But, seriously, what else is he going to say?)

His year in Colorado has given Moniak an opportunity to re-establish his value, but assuming the Rockies lean into their rebuild in 2026, his outfield roster spot is better spent on players destined to be part of the Rockies’ future.

This week on the internet

Let’s take a minute to appreciate the greatness that is Cal Raleigh.

Hunter Goodman just hit his 26th homer, which tells you just how amazing Raleigh’s 2025 season has been.

He’s got my vote for AL MVP. (Don’t at me.)

What I’m reading

• The Rockies are falling behind the southpaw trends | Purple Row — You would probably have a better day without knowing yet another way in which the Rockies are lagging behind the league. However, Skyler Timmins points to another area of concern.
• The 2025 FanGraphs Fan Exchange Program: Summary and conclusions | FanGraphs — In case you wondered how Michael Baumann’s experiment went, he announced his initial findings today. Spoiler: A favorite part of watching a game for Rockies fans? Ryan Spilborghs.
• Rockies' Antonio Senzatela headed to bullpen, German Marquez returning to rotation | Denver Post — Antonio Senzatela’s first innings number were notable — and not in a good way. On Tuesday, interim manager Warren Schaeffer announced those days were over as Senzatela would move to the bullpen. As general manager explained to Bill Schmidt, “The bottom line is that he was not helping the club. He was hurting the club, especially early in the game. Same thing with ‘Gomby.‘ They were putting the team in a hole early, and they were putting our young relievers in a hole, too.”

Closing thoughts

And that’s it for this week.

The Rockies are back at Coors Field for a nine-game home stand. Although their playoff hopes have been gone for months, those hopes are very much alive for two of the three visiting teams, so the young Rockies will be tested.

Also, fall baseball is amazing.

As always, thanks for reading —

Renee

Rockies Pitch is a newsletter that focuses on Colorado Rockies baseball.

Find me on Bluesky at @ReneeDechert.com or send an email to Renee@RockiesPitch.com.