Five takeaways from 'Phillies Extra' with Aidan Miller

Aidan Miller, the Phillies’ top positional prospect, joined Scott Lauber to discuss his introduction to Bryce Harper, his future at shortstop, and more.

'Hi, I'm Bryce Harper'

Miller spent part of his spring training in big-league camp. He got to be up close with their veteran stars, which left quite an impression on the 20-year-old. “There were so many cool moments."

"Even from the start, we were doing physicals on Day 1, and I'm sitting in my locker just kind of trying to fill out the vibe of the room. And [Bryce] Harper walks in. He walks right over to my locker and introduces himself to me, and that was probably one of the cooler moments of the whole experience." 

Sanchez's 'nasty' changeup made a big impression

“Facing [Cristopher] Sanchez that one day, seeing like a real big-league changeup for the first time was pretty nasty. I went back to [hitting coach Kevin] Long after, I'm like, ‘Man, that thing's nasty.’

“He's like, ‘Yep, that's why it's the best in baseball.’ [Jesus] Luzardo, too. His fastball has a lot of carry, a lot of rides. So just seeing different pitches and what they had [with] different arsenals, it was really cool to face that and get to experience it."

He's a shortstop 'for now'

Miller was drafted as a shortstop, but given his size (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) and the presence of $300 million man Trea Turner at the position, third base could be an option, and he's gotten some work there this spring.

"From what I hear, I'm a shortstop right now, and you know that can change. There's so many things that go into it, but as of right now, I'm a shortstop."

“I think a lot of the knock on me is [I’m] a bigger-body shortstop. So a lot of people don't think I have the range or or the athleticism to stick over there, but I really think everybody [who has] watched me play over there has really, truly believed that I can stick there.”

An injury likely made him a Phillie

A broken bone in his hand kept Miller out of most of his senior season in high school and caused his draft stock to fall. The Phillies selected him with the 27th pick in the 2023 draft.

“Getting a chance to still fall into the Phillies’ lap, it was a blessing in disguise," said Miller, pictured with brother Jackson and sister Olivia on draft day. "So I kind of noticed after the draft, teams who are picking in the later round of the first round are usually the better teams and the better organizations.”

He learned the business of the game at the trade deadline

"During the trade deadline last year, I had my roommate, one of my my close friends, George [Klassen, above] traded. So that was my first real taste of, ‘Man, this is a business,' and, you know, nothing's really guaranteed."

"Going through my first trade deadline [in 2024], obviously I had some questions about if I'd still be here or not. … I was a little curious. But now I look at it like, whatever happens, happens. Ultimately, whatever happens is gonna be the right thing."

Watch the full episode of 'Phillies Extra'

Check out the full episode of "Phillies Extra" with Miller here, catch up on previous ones here, and be on the lookout for new ones throughout the season.