After utterly scorching Double-A Reading, the Phillies finally decided to promote second-base prospect Scott Kingery to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies have been slow to promote their prospects this season with few getting any major bumps except in the case of injury. However, the team made a big promotion this weekend.
Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reported Sunday night that Scott Kingery was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Kingery spent the first nearly three months of the season in Double-A Reading.
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Kingery was among the top hitters in the Eastern Leauge. He led the EL in home runs (18), total bases (169), slugging percentage (.608), and OPS (.987). He was second in triples (five) and stolen bases (19).
As a whole, Kingery had a .307/.375/.606 line, 166 wRC+, 43 RBI, 9.0% walk rate and 16.3% strikeout rate in 68 games. His walk rate is the highest of his career, even at the lower levels of the minor-leagues.
Many fans expected Kingery to be promoted to Triple-A much earlier this season. Jesmuel Valentin, the everyday second baseman in Lehigh Valley, separated his shoulder a month ago. The injury required injury and put Valentin on the shelf for the rest of the season. It was an ideal time to promote Kingery, but the team has instead opted to use a group of journeyed minor-leaguers to fill the hole in the meantime.
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There was some speculation that Kingery could make the jump from Double-A to the majors when Cesar Hernandez was injured, but that would have been far too extreme for a move that has been pretty conservative with their prospects during their rebuild.
When Kingery actually does make it to the majors is up in the air. This is the last offseason when Kingery doesn’t need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, so the team doesn’t need to add him to the 40-man roster this year. With a bevy of prospects that need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, it’s hard to imagine Kingery being promoted to the major-leagues this season.
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This offseason will be when the team has to decide what they want to do with Kingery and Hernandez. The latter was linked to multiple trade rumors last offseason, and he very well could again with the presence of Kingery.