PHILADELPHIA — Former No. 1 overall draft pick Mickey Moniak rode into Citizens Bank Park on Friday afternoon with old friend Alec Bohm. Once a prized prospect in the Phillies organization, he never found a consistent role or sustained success. But he’s back in Philadelphia in his second year with the Colorado Rockies, standing as one of the top offensive performers in the National League so far in 2026.

As it currently holds, Moniak leads the NL in slugging percentage (.700) and OPS (1.067). He’s hit 11 home runs in 30 games. Sure, he’s much better at the hitter-friendly Coors Field, but his ballpark-adjusted 178 OPS+ is fifth in the big leagues. Moniak has found a home, and he’s cashing in on his opportunities.

“I think it just kind of goes back to last year, really” Moniak said Friday inside the visitors’ clubhouse. “The start of June, I kind of found something here, mostly mental. Just kind of playing free, letting it go and just kind of letting the talent that God gave me take over.”

Moniak, 27, was selected out of high school with the first pick by the Phillies in a weak 2016 draft. He struggled in the lower minor leagues, but he eventually made his major-league debut in 2020. After brief cameos for parts of two seasons, Moniak seemed destined to become Philadelphia’s starting center fielder in 2022. Then, he was hit by a pitch in the final game of spring training, breaking his right hand.

It never clicked with the Phillies after that. He batted .130 in 50 plate appearances, and he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for rental swingman pitcher Noah Syndergaard at the deadline. The Phillies made a surprise NL pennant run that October.

But Moniak, who said he’s a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, has no hard feelings toward the Phillies organization. He was drafted by Philadelphia, spent seven formative years with the club and broke into the majors as a Phillie. He enjoys returning to the city and catches up with former teammates and coaches every time he’s back. Ultimately, the Phillies were looking to contend that season, and Moniak needed to continue developing.

“The team was in a place where, clearly, they were trying to compete for a World Series,” Moniak said. “They went to the World Series that year, and it was win-now mode. So I wasn’t given the leash to go out and get the at-bats a young guy needs to do it, and rightfully so. I totally understood. It’s just one of those things where, at the time, it was best for both parties kind of go separate ways.”

The outfielder’s time with the Angels was inconsistent, and he was released prior to the start of the 2025 season. Moniak signed with Colorado last March, and he made his Rockies debut on April 3 on the road in Philadelphia during the Phillies’ home opener.

He hit 21 home runs with an .824 OPS in 135 games last year, with a .917 OPS in 81 games following the end of May. Moniak spent the winter trying to build off the strong showing, ready to “ride the wave” into 2026. He’s done that and more in the early parts of the season.

“I don’t know what’s inside his brain, but he seems awfully comfortable,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He’s a grinder. He gets after it every day. For me, it’s no wonder that he’s doing the things that he’s doing. He’s a really good hitter and a really, really good hitter against right-handed pitching, specifically.”

At this point in his career, Moniak is a different player than when he was with the Phillies. He arrived in Clearwater, Fla., at 167 pounds as a teenager back in 2016. His left-handed bat did not have that much pop, never hitting more than 15 homers in a minor-league season. Now, his 6-foot-1, 209-frame has filled out, and his game is predicated on extra-base hits into that spacious Colorado outfield.

“I guess you could say I was a little bit of a late bloomer as far as the power goes,” Moniak said.

That’s not to say he’s become a perfect player. Moniak is firmly a short-side platoon outfielder. He lost his career-long 18-game on Thursday, then was out of the lineup on Friday because left-hander Jesús Luzardo was starting for the Phillies. He’s batting .150 with no walks and 10 strikeouts in 20 plate appearances against lefties this season.

Moniak’s defensive metrics have also been poor since joining the Rockies, with -23 defensive runs saved in the outfield last year and -3 so far in 2026.

However, Moniak has excelled in his role as a righty masher, and he’s posting gaudy rate stats at the plate. Maybe he’s due to regress since he’s running a .343 batting average on balls in play and does not have the track record of a star. But this red-hot stretch should provide a high floor for his end-of-season numbers. And if he can remotely keep it up, there’s a real chance he’ll be making another trip to Philadelphia in July to represent the Rockies in the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.

“I will cross that bridge when we get there,” Moniak said. “I think my main focus right now is just one day at a time. It’s always been a goal to be an All-Star, and I definitely know it’s going to be here in Philly. I think it’d be really cool. I think it’d be awesome, full-circle moment.

“But again, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Still got a couple more months to go, and just looking to do what I can each and every day.”