Rockies’ Warren Schaeffer glows over Mickey Moniak amid breakout season

As a former No. 1 overall pick, outfielder Mickey Moniak has struggled to live up to his draft hype. However, since coming to the Colorado Rockies, Moniak has been a crucial cog in the team’s lineup.

Manager Warren Schaeffer has clearly come away impressed with the outfielder’s game. Alongside his work in the batter’s box, Schaeffer noted that Moniak has become one of the Rockies’ key leaders, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

“I did not know him before he got here. I just know that since he has been here, there has been a feeling of belonging for him and he knows the people here believe in him and love what he does,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

“He’s a real leader in the clubhouse,” he continued. “That comes naturally for him. Maybe he has just finally settled in with everything and let his skills shine. Sometimes it can be tough to have a ton of expectations on you from the beginning. Sometimes it just takes some time to be OK with who you are.”

Over his 36 games in 2026, Moniak is hitting .308 with 12 home runs and 26 RBIs. He’s following the trend he set in 2025, as in his first year with the team, the outfielder hit .270 with 24 home runs and 68 RBIs.

What’s different in 2026 is that Moniak’s 1.032 OPS leads the entire National League. Even more impressive, his .677 slugging percentage leads all of baseball.

The former No. 1 overall pick must prove he can be consistent through the entire 2026 campaign. But thus far, Schaeffer and the Rockies have been blown away.

The post Rockies’ Warren Schaeffer glows over Mickey Moniak amid breakout season appeared first on ClutchPoints.