Phillies Select Infielder Aidan Miller in Round One of MLB Draft

With the twenty-seventh pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft, the Philadelphia Phillies selected Aidan Miller, a shortstop and third baseman from J.W. Mitchell High School in the Tampa Bay area.

Miller, initially a shortstop, developed into a third baseman during his tenure in high school. He has a big frame and is one of the strongest high schoolers in the draft, enhancing his naturally-raw power. It is possible that he could shift to first base—similar to Phillies’ Alec Bohm—but with his well-above-average bat, there is no doubt that the Phillies will find a spot in their lineup for the right-hander when he is major-league ready.

In 2022, Miller played for USA Baseball’s 18U team, where he hit .478 in nine games and won the batting title. Despite having just average speed, he became one of just three players in the last 13 years to hit three triples in one tournament. Around this time last year, Miller won the High School Home Run Derby in Los Angeles, taking down Tigers’ first-round selection Max Clark.

Miller missed a majority of his senior year because of a broken hamate bone in his hand, but the Phillies feel that it will have no effect on his future performance. “We had the opportunity to see him work out and see him play after getting healthy and being cleared to play,” Phillies’ director of amateur scouting told the media in a press conference. “[We’re] Not worried about the power. It’s already returned. I feel really good about the player himself and where [the health of] the hamate is.”

Miller is now the fourth straight player that Barber and the Phillies have selected out of high school, but when a guy with the power and versatility of Miller comes along, the choice is obvious, despite his injuries.

Even though Miller is committed to playing at Arkansas, he is expected to sign with the Phillies prior to the August 1st deadline.

The Phillies did not have any other day-one picks, but they will make the 98th overall selection on day two, which will consist of rounds 3-10. To watch the Phillies’ third-round pick tomorrow, the draft—which starts at 2pm ET—will be streamed on MLB.com.