All-American Game MVP Miller wins HS Derby

LOS ANGELES -- What was already going to be a weekend to remember turned into one of epic proportions for 2023 high school prospect Aidan Miller.

The teenager from J.W. Mitchell High School in Trinity, Fla., went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs to lead his American League squad to a 13-8 victory in the Major League Baseball-USA Baseball High School All-American Game at Dodger Stadium on Friday, winning the MLB Develops MVP Award presented by Chevrolet.

Miller then added more hardware to his trophy case Monday night, smashing six home runs in one minute to claim the High School Home Run Derby title. Even more impressively, he accomplished the feat in front of the Major Leaguers he hopes to join one day, as the contest took place after the first round of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

“It’s awesome,” Miller said. “Words can’t describe how fun and how cool that was. It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid just starting to play baseball, is playing in a home run derby. And getting to do that at Dodger Stadium around all these big leaguers, it’s awesome.”

Miller took down fellow Floridian prepster Braden Holcomb (Fountain Academy), who hit four homers in the finals of the competition. The two sluggers emerged from a field of eight of the best high school hitters in the Class of 2023 in Saturday’s opening rounds. They each got two rounds to reach the seats at Dodger Stadium, receiving two-and-a-half minutes in Round 1 and 90 seconds in Round 2, with a timeout in each round.

Miller hit just one homer in that first round, before ripping off seven in the second round to earn a chance to compete for Monday's crown.

Here’s how the part of that competition shook out:
Holcomb, Foundation Academy (Ocoee, FL) -- 11
Miller, JW Mitchell High School (Trinity, FL) -- 8
Nik Sanders; La Vega High School (Waco, TX) -- 6
Andrew Wiggins, Heritage Christian School (Indianapolis, Ind.) -- 6
Maxwell Clark, Frank Community High School (Franklin, IN) -- 5
Harrison Bouthillette, Metrolina Christian Academy (Indian Trail, NC) -- 3
Justin Best, Combine Academy (Cornelius, NC) -- 1
Dylan Cupp, Cedartown High School (Cedartown, GA) -- 1

Miller, who is committed to the University of Arkansas, was presented with his Derby title trophy at home plate by MLB chief baseball development officer Tony Reagins. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound infielder raised it in the air with one hand as a packed crowd at Dodger Stadium cheered.

“Him handing me a trophy was just a dream come true. It’s really a blessing,” Miller said. “Words can’t describe how cool this weekend has been. Everybody at MLB has been amazing with buses, travel, all the gear we get and just getting us through it. It’s awesome, and it’s something that I think every young kid growing up should strive to do.”

Jake Gatewood put this event on the map when he got the big leaguers out of their seats back in 2013. Previous winners Bobby Witt Jr. (2019) and Nolan Gorman (2018) are currently in the big leagues. Miller, who has received MLB comparisons to recently added All-Star Austin Riley in the past, said before the contest that his mantra would be simple: “Just find that groove, find that swing, don’t try to do too much.”

That appears to be his mind-set for the future as well. A potential Top 10 MLB Draft pick next year, Miller didn’t think the weekend will necessarily change the trajectory of his career.

“I would say I’m still the same Aidan,” Miller said. “Same goal is just to play baseball and to be myself. God’s got a path for me, so I’ll just stick to that.”

Make no mistake, though, that path just became a lot more clear.

Here’s a complete list of past winners:
2021: Jared Jones and Sal Stewart (tie)
2019: Blaze Jordan
2018: Bobby Witt Jr.
2017: Nolan Gorman
2016: Nick Brueser
2015: Andrew Yerzy and Ron Washington Jr. (tie)
2014: Luken Baker
2013: Jake Gatewood