Phils prospect Aidan Miller eager to learn from Harper and face Wheeler in camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Aidan Miller was in fifth grade when Bryce Harper won his first MVP award.
For the next few weeks, they’ll dress for work about 50 feet away from each other.
The 20-year-old shortstop is regarded as the Phillies’ top position player prospect and he’s in big-league camp this spring for the first time as a non-roster invitee. Teams try each year to bring young prospects to spring training that they think have a chance to make an impact in the majors someday. It’s a way to show them what the lifestyle is like, how veterans work and give them a chance to absorb information.
That’s exactly what Miller intends to do.
“Man, everything,” the youngest player in Phillies camp said Tuesday morning when asked what he plans to talk to Harper about. “I met him yesterday and I felt pretty starstruck. That was cool. Just watching him go about his business, his routine in the cages, just excited to learn from him.
“I think the first day is a little overwhelming, so much going on, meeting so many new people. I feel pretty comfortable now and excited to see what spring training has to offer and soak up as much as I can.”
The Phillies drafted Miller 27th overall in 2023 out of J.W. Mitchell HS in nearby New Port Richey, Florida. He entered his senior year expecting to be selected 10th through 20th in the first round but broke the hamate bone in his left hand in his first game and missed the rest of the year.
When Miller worked out for teams in that 10-20 range toward the end of his senior season, he was healthier and still expected to be taken there but wasn’t. He actually didn’t have any pre-draft interviews with the Phillies. Now-Phillies GM Preston Mattingly called him when their pick was up and that was the first contact Miller had with the organization.
“I saw the last name and obviously, I know who his dad (Don) is. So I was like, oh I think they’re related. That was pretty cool,” Miller said. “I did not talk to the Phillies at all before the draft, which is crazy. It was a pleasant surprise.
“I’m excited I never have to go through (the draft process) again. It was a stressful time.”
Last season, 2024, was his first full year in the Phillies’ farm system and Miller played at three different levels. He hit .275/.401/.483 in 39 games with Single A Clearwater, then posted a .797 OPS in 58 games…