Scott Kingery by midseason
Scott Kingery had a breakout year in 2017, launching him into top prospect conversation. He opened the season with 18 home runs in 69 games with Double-A Reading before moving up to Triple-A, where he hit eight more home runs and had a .786 OPS.
Kingery is expected to start 2017 in Triple-A with Cesar Hernandez still on the roster. Kingery played just 63 games there, so more time there is probably a good idea.
However, if Kingery continues to hit like he did in 2017, the club won’t be able to keep him in Triple-A for long. They will likely have to work him in the same way they did with Crawford in September, moving him around the diamond a bit. Kingery did get some work in at third base in 2017 and could get some more in 2018 as well, meaning he could take over for Maikel Franco if he still isn’t hitting well.
Kingery could take over at second if and when Hernandez gets traded, as rumors will likely surround him well into the 2018 season. Where Kingery plays long-term is another matter, but he should get his first cuts at the majors by the time 2018 is over.