That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Three Phillies prospects ranked among International League’s best

By John Town

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: J.P. Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hive fives his teammates in the dugout after throwing out Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (NOT PICTURED) in the top of the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 18, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 4-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: J.P. Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hive fives his teammates in the dugout after throwing out Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (NOT PICTURED) in the top of the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 18, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 4-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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2B Scott Kingery

Kingery wasn’t too far behind Hoskins, landing at No. 8 on the list. It wouldn’t surprise me if he winds up on the Eastern League list either after splitting this season between Double-A and Triple-A.

Kingery started the year off at a pace we had never seen from him before, posting a .313/.379/.608 line with 18 home runs and 19 stolen bases. The home run boost was a complete surprise considering how little power Kingery showed before this season with just eight home runs in his first two minor-league seasons.

After a midseason promotion to Lehigh Valley Kingery was strong there as well, finishing with a .294/.337/.449 line, eight more home runs, 41 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 63 games.

Collazo wrote the following about Kingery:

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"Kingery was the most impressive pure hitter in the IL for some managers, and while his short, compact stroke and high average was not surprising, his power production certainly was. Kingery hit 26 home runs between Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley, blowing away his previous full-season high of five in 2016. Going to a homer-friendly park in Philadelphia will help him maintain his power gains and have at least average power. Managers rave about Kingery’s baseball IQ. He’s a smart and proficient baserunner, has great defensive instincts and a good approach at the plate, though he could stand to draw more walks. Some evaluators give Kingery a chance to be a plus defensive second baseman, while others say solid-average, but his offensive potential could make him an impact player."

Collazo also fielded a question in the chat comparing Kingery to another famous Phillies second baseman:

"Justin (Tucson): How does Kingery compare to Utley? Does Kingery have the same ceiling? Carlos Collazo: I like this question because before the season it probably would have been easy to scoff at, but now it’s actually pretty hard to answer. Kingery will need to cut the strikeout rate and walk a bit more to reach that kind of level, but he has a chance to be a plus defender at second. I think he’ll end up with less power and more speed than Utley, but who knows with the home run environment we’ve seen lately."

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