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Phillies Prospect Scott Kingery Struggling in Arizona Fall League

By George Stockburger

Oct 13, 2016; Peoria, AZ, USA; Scottsdale Scorpions outfielder Tim Tebow of the New York Mets (15) celebrates with teammate Scott Kingery of the Philadelphia Phillies after scoring a run against the Peoria Javelinas during an Arizona Fall League game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; Peoria, AZ, USA; Scottsdale Scorpions outfielder Tim Tebow of the New York Mets (15) celebrates with teammate Scott Kingery of the Philadelphia Phillies after scoring a run against the Peoria Javelinas during an Arizona Fall League game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phillies second baseman Scott Kingery was assigned to the Arizona Fall League, but he has seldom found success out West

The best second base prospect in the Phillies system since Chase Utley, Kingery has moved quickly through the organization. Since being drafted in the second-round last summer, Kingery has made his way up to Double-A Reading at the ripe age of 22.

Through 131 games this year, Kingery had 44 extra-base hits between Single and Double-A. He can be a very good hitter once he settles in to Double-A, and will lead the team in extra-base hits if he plays a full season.

In order to get Kingery more at-bats against better pitching, the Phillies sent their #13 prospect to the Arizona Fall League.

Through 11 games Kingery is hitting only .214 with only three extra-base hits. Another worrisome stat is his lack of walks and increased strikeouts. The second baseman has walked just two times while striking out nine times against the more experienced pitching. He only has three multi-hit games for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

If it’s a consolation, Kingery is hitting better than his teammate Tim Tebow.

Kingery also has a stolen base, something he has been working on this year in Clearwater and Reading.

Kingery is the only legitimate second base prospect in the Phillies system, and is a critical part of their future. Cesar Hernandez is holding down the fort for now, but he is not a long-term option. While he led baseball in triples (11) and was the Phillies leader in batting average (.294) it is more likely Hernandez regresses than progresses in 2017.

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I’m not concerned with Kingery not performing in the Fall League, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on. Tyson Gillies hit .178 and Darin Ruf hit .239 in 2011, and Dominic Brown finished the 2009 Fall League hitting .229. To be fair, Mike Trout hit .245 on the same team as Gillies and Ruf in 2011.

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