READING, Pa. — As Aidan Miller arrived at his third minor-league level in five months, the promising young infielder acknowledged the faith his organization has shown in him.
Last July, Miller was a high school shortstop from J.W. Mitchell High School in Trinity, Fla., selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the No. 27 pick in the Major League Baseball Draft. On Tuesday, he set foot in the upper minor leagues as the Phillies placed him in Double-A Reading to close out the 2024 season.
“They’ve pushed me pretty heavily,” Miller said on the field before his first game at Class AA. “I think it shows that they believe in me, and they believe that I can get it done at this level. Them thinking that and just trusting me was exciting, man. It’s a great honor.”
The Phillies have challenged Miller as he’s developed into the surefire top hitting prospect in the system and one of the best offensive prospects in Minor League Baseball. He stood out in Single-A Clearwater to begin the year, adapted to High-A Jersey Shore then earned a call-up to Double-A Reading to complete his first full season. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Miller has responded well, looking polished with a sweet right-handed swing and an advanced approach.
“It’s really cool,” he said of his Double-A promotion. “It’s a big honor. Just shows all the work I put in is finally paying off. And when I found out on Sunday, I was super excited to finish the last two weeks of the season here. It’s a really cool honor, and I’m really excited to start here.”
Miller went 1-for-4 in his debut for Reading, serving a line-drive single into right field in his first at-bat and driving in a run on a fielder’s choice in a 4-2 Fightins win over Erie at FirstEnergy Stadium. He played shortstop and started a 6-4-3 double play to end the top of the second inning. Reading manager Al Pedrique thought Miller seemed comfortable and relaxed. He certainly looked the part.
“It says a lot about him and his character, his makeup,” Pedrique said. “For a young kid, he’s very mature. And that’s when you push guys — when you know they can handle it mentally.”
Miller is now batting .265/.372/.458 with 11 home runs, 28 doubles, six triples and 22 stolen bases in 98 total minor-league games. He was named to this summer’s MLB All-Star Futures Game in Texas. He rebounded from a slow start in High-A that he attributed to “a normal baseball slump” and capped it off with a five-hit game in his final appearance with the BlueClaws. Miller has dealt with pressure, expectations and failure, and he’s continued to deliver.
His natural talent and off-field demeanor has impressed those within the Phillies organization. When Miller joined Jersey Shore in June, he quickly bonded with 2022 first rounder Justin Crawford. They’re both 20-year-old former first-round picks out of high school, and they connected over their preparation and love of talking baseball. Miller called Crawford “one of my best buddies.” Crawford, promoted to Reading in July, couldn’t help but smile when asked about teaming up with Miller once again.
“I’m really glad to finally be able to get my boy up here,” Crawford said. “That kid has a great work ethic like no other. And being able to finally get him up here to have him hitting behind me and get some nice protection, it’s pretty cool and it’s pretty fun.”
With Crawford leading off, Miller will slot into the No. 2 hole for Reading’s remaining 11 games. Pedrique plans to play him exclusively at shortstop during his time with the Fightins.
Miller missed all of his high school season last spring with a broken left hamate bone, which caused him to fall to Philadelphia in the back of the first round. He said he couldn’t pin blame on the other teams for not coming to see him play; he was sitting out with the injury during the bulk of the pre-draft process. Ultimately, that resulted in him being selected by the Phillies. He wouldn’t change how it played out.
“It’s been cool to be in Philly and I’m glad where I’m at,” Miller said. “I think it worked out for a reason.”
Since then, Miller has been healthy as he’s climbed the ranks of the Phillies’ farm system. He recovered in time to play 20 games between rookie ball and Single-A following the draft last year. It’s been a big jump this season in terms of games played. Miller admitted the offseason “sounds nice,” but his hand and his entire body are feeling good as he’s adjusted to the rigors of the minor leagues. He said there haven’t been any discussions for him to play in the fall, leaving him the winter to rest and recover.
In these final two series for Reading, Miller doesn’t have some huge goal to end the minor-league schedule. He wants to stay healthy and put together competitive plate appearances. He’s pleased with how the year has played out, and he just wants to take in the experience. Miller knows the way he’s risen this season is something to appreciate.
“I think it’s really just get comfortable here and really enjoy it,” he said. “There’s only two weeks left in the year. I think I’ve had a pretty good year to this point. And to be in Double-A in my first full season, that’s a great accomplishment in itself. So, just really enjoy the whole process.”
