As a 17-year-old high school baseball phenom, Mickey Moniak remembers talking with Bill Schmidt, then a scout with the Rockies, at his dinner table inside his California residence.

A teenager with the possibility of an outstanding Major League Baseball career ahead of him, Moniak discussed with Schmidt during that conversation about what might happen if the Rockies were able to draft him.

“It’s nice to feel wanted,” Moniak said of the memory. “It’s nice to feel like the organization believes in you. I think I felt that ever since I was a 17-year-old kid, and Bill was in my dining room, talking to me and my parents going into the draft. I think I’ve always felt the love from this organization, whether it was the draft or whether it was at the trade deadline in 2022. I think it’s pretty cool.”

That California encounter almost a decade ago paid off toward the end of this year’s spring training when the Los Angeles Angels released Moniak. Looking to bolster his team’s outfield depth, Schmidt, now the general manager of the Rockies, was ready to scoop up Moniak and finally have him as a part of his team.

“It gives you some comfort to know that he’s capable of doing something,” Schmidt said of his long relationship with Moniak. “Everyone’s journey is a little different to get up here and get settled in. But knowing Mickey as a person, we spent a lot of time with him, so I always thought there was the upside.”

Moniak has shown that upside early in his Rockies career, with eight of his first 15 hits going for extra bases. His three triples, which tie him for the second-most in baseball, have showcased his speed. His defense in center field has been solid enough to help the Rockies survive a recent stretch when Gold Glove winner Brenton Doyle was on the bereavement list.

But the journey that Schmidt mentioned? Yes, it’s been a long and winding one in between a dinner-table chat and Moniak landing on the Rockies roster.

The Rockies never got the chance to draft Moniak as he was taken first overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB draft. With the sky-high expectations that come with being the top pick, Moniak worked his way through the minors and finally debuted in an empty stadium during the COVID season of 2020.

He struggled in 2021, bouncing between Philadelphia and the minor leagues before settling into a groove during spring training prior to the 2022 campaign. However, a fractured hand suffered after being hit by a pitch in the final game of spring training derailed those plans.

“I had a good spring training and kind of forced my way into a job with the Phillies that year and made the Opening Day roster,” Moniak recalled. “I was devastated when that injury happened. You never want to get hurt. You never want to miss time, but I’m also a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and that’s kind of led me to where I’m at today.”

Traded by Philadelphia to the Angels at the 2022 trade deadline — when the Rockies were interested in him as well — Moniak spent two-plus seasons in Anaheim before finally getting the chance to call Coors Field home.

“I think the difference (between being traded versus being released) was that I had more say of where I wanted to end up,” Moniak said. “Obviously there were teams that showed interest. It was cool to be able to get a pick of where I wanted to go as well as where I felt like I fit best and where my family would fit best. Ultimately, that was here.”

Moniak turns 27 on May 13. He already has accrued plenty of experience, something that was evident to Rockies manager Bud Black from the first time Moniak walked into the clubhouse.

“He’s a good baseball player, and he loves to play,” Black said. “A lot of kids in their mid-20s who have come from certain parts of the country, they play a lot of baseball. Mickey’s played a lot. He was a high-profile kid in high school with all the travel ball, and he played a lot.

“He’s an easy guy to talk baseball with. He’s a clear thinker who understands instruction and understands coaching. Whether it’s offensively or defensively, he has a good grasp of the game.”

Despite the pressure and expectations that come with being the first overall pick in the draft, Moniak looks back believing it all helped create the player and person he is today.

“I think that it’s something that comes with a little bit of added pressure, but it’s something I wouldn’t change for the world,” Moniak said. “At the end of the day, it’s awesome to be the No. 1 pick. It’s something that I’ll be able to tell my kids about and something I will never forget. But it’s in the past, and there’s baseball to be played now.”

Almost 10 years after first talking about the possibilities, Schmidt and the Rockies can learn what Moniak can do for the franchise moving forward.