CLEARWATER, Fla. — With every swing of the bat, Aidan Miller shows off his raw power.
His bat is a big reason why the Philadelphia Phillies drafted Miller 27th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. But this 19-year-old believes it's his intangibles that will make him stand out.
”I think just my attitude and work ethic, how I approach every single day, how I go about my business,” Miller said. ”I think that’s what separates me from everyone else.”
Miller, who played shortstop at J.W. Mitchell High School in Trinity, is going through his first spring training at the Phillies Complex in Clearwater.
“It’s been awesome—a dream come true,” he said. "I think I really lucked out with it being in my backyard. My family and friends all come to watch me play. It’s so cool being close to home. If I need anything from my parents, it’s just 25-30 minutes away. Truly a dream come true.”
Miller comes from a baseball family. His dad was drafted by the Rangers in 1994, and his brother Jackson was picked by the Reds in the second round of the 2020 draft.
“Growing up in baseball, it’s all I really know,” Miller said. “Me and my brother, with my dad playing with the Rangers. We’ve loved it since an early age. We wanted to be professional baseball players all our lives. For us to both be doing that now is really cool.”
After the draft, he played in the final ten games with the Single-A Clearwater Threshers and quickly found out he’s not in high school anymore.
“Obviously, the biggest thing is velocity,” he said. “Everybody throws hard. I’m really having to develop a plan at the plate, hunt pitches I can hit and know my sweet spots and my cold spots.”
This promising Phillie said his goal this season is to develop a professional routine.
“I think it’s everything I dreamed of and more,” he said. "It’s such a cool experience getting to be around the best players and coaches around and learning so much every single day. It’s the little things you learn each day, watching the big league guys come over and take ground balls, watching them hit BP.”
He’ll likely begin the season in Clearwater with the Threshers.
