Mickey Moniak, Cornelius Randolph, Adam Haseley: An all-first-round outfield in Reading

READING — The new starting outfield for the Phillies’ double-A Reading affiliate is an eye-catcher.

There’s Mickey Moniak, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft.

There’s Adam Haseley, the eighth overall pick in the 2017 draft.

There’s Cornelius Randolph, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft.

“I think it is especially unique that we are all in the same position,” Haseley said last week at the Fightin Phils’ media day. “There could be a couple of first-round picks on the same team, but to have them in the same outfield or the same infield, wherever it may be, is pretty special.”

Haseley, who will turn 23 Friday, was drafted out of the University of Virginia. Both Randolph, who will turn 22 in June, and Moniak, who will be 21 next month, were drafted out of high school.

Moniak and Haseley are natural center fielders and Randolph is a left fielder by trade, but first-year Reading manager Shawn Williams says each will play all three outfield positions.

Kirsten Karbach, Reading’s director of public/media relations and broadcaster, says that as recently as last season there was another minor-league team with an all-first-round outfield: the Biloxi Shuckers, the Milwaukee Brewers’ double-A affiliate. The outfielders were Corey Ray, fifth overall pick in 2016; Trent Grisham, 15th selection in 2015; and Clint Coulter, 27th pick in 2012.

Haseley, who bats and throws left-handed, spent his final 39 games last season at Reading, where he batted .316 with an .880 OPS. He began last season at high-A Clearwater, where he hit .300 with a .758 OPS.

“He is very consistent,” said Williams, the manager last year at Clearwater. “He is a baseball player, a gamer, and does all the little things, puts together a good at-bat and is a very good defender.”

Randolph and Moniak, who both bat left-handed and throw right-handed, got off to slow starts in their careers, but each came on strong at the end of last season.

Randolph is repeating the year at Reading, where he batted just .241 but hit .314 with four home runs and 24 RBIs in his final 49 games.

“My whole offseason was designed on building off that,” Randolph said about his late-season improvement.

Moniak batted .333 with an .856 OPS in his final 32 games for Clearwater last season.

“I kind of relaxed a little bit, not trying to go 4-for-4 every day, but taking what they gave me and doing the little things,” said Moniak, who had an .898 OPS through this year’s first five games.

All three high-profile minor-leaguers push other in a positive way.

“Mickey and Cornelius are two of my better friends in pro ball," Haseley said, "I wish them nothing but the best and I will continue to try to push them like they are pushing me.”

Nothing against his friends, but Haseley hopes the three aren’t together all year. A quick start could propel him to triple-A Lehigh Valley. Because of his age and past production, he would be the most logical of the three to move up first.

“That is all of our goals, to perform well here and have a chance to continue to move up the ladder,” said Haseley, who was batting .095 through his first five games this year. “That is definitely one of the goals for me, to perform well enough to have that opportunity.”

For now, they will play together and go from minor-league city to minor-league city, likely to be questioned in each about their draft status.

“It is cool to think about it and cool on paper, but at the end of the day, we are all one team,” Moniak said.