No prospect in baseball is hotter than Phillies second baseman Scott Kingery
In the midst of another dreadful Phillies season, the light is beginning to shine at the end of the tunnel. While distant, the promise of blue chip prospects making their way to the big leagues keeps fans engaged through a tumultuous year.
In Double-A Reading second baseman Scott Kingery is the driving force behind that light and could be wearing Phillies red sooner rather than later.
Kingery is red-hot for Reading, hitting six home runs in his last 10 games, including four in his last three. Not only is his power developing, the natural hitting ability that could sustain a .300 batting average is getting him on-base at a fevered rate.
In the past 10 games, he has 15 hits for the Fightin’ Phils and is seeing his average creep closer to the .300 mark.
Unlike other big name prospects, Kingery isn’t in the situation to make the jump from Reading to Philadelphia. That’s not because he can’t make the move, but the logjam at second will hold him back.
What happens to Cesar Hernandez in Philadelphia, who appears to be the team’s lone All-Star this year?
It’s hard to bump Freddy Galvis and his glove off shortstop, which Hernandez could play adequately enough every day. Currently, Galvis is hitting .255 on the season but has reached base safely in 16 games this month. J.P. Crawford is not ready to reach the big leagues, but he’s starting to find his swing with the IronPigs.
Hernandez also has experience in the outfield, but can you play him over Aaron Altherr considering the range Altherr provides along with his bat?
So a spot on the major league roster may not be available for Kingery, but advancing to Lehigh Valley is something that could happen in the very near future. Jesmuel Valentin is on the disabled list with a separated shoulder, and veterans Pedro Florimon and Taylor Featherston have filled in.
Kingery may move into Lehigh Valley and surpass the injured Valentin, who could miss extended playing time with the IronPigs. It’s not as if Valentin was tearing the leather off the ball, hitting .229 with four extra-base hits in Lehigh Valley.
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Expect Kingery to earn a promotion to Triple-A, and if his bat continues to stay hot, a September call-up is not out of the question.