Phillies 2019 review: Scott Kingery makes strides in sophomore season
Scott Kingery proved in 2019 he can be an everyday player for the Phillies.
Scott Kingery opened eyes during the 2018 spring, hitting for average and surprising power in Grapefruit League play. While there were glimpses of offensive prowess, for much of the 2018 season Kingery looked completely overmatched at the plate. In fact, his .226 average and .605 OPS was one of the worst in the league among regulars.
The page turned to 2019 and Kingery made steps forward, playing multiple positions effectively for the Phillies and improved significantly at the plate.
Kingery started the season playing sparingly, but made the most of it, going 5-for-10 over the first eight games of the season. Gradually seeing more time on the field, Kingery was hitting .406 with two home runs and a 1.176 OPS after the first month of the season.
After a single home run in 39 at-bats in May, Kingery found his power stroke, launching seven in June to go along with nine doubles and a .295 average. He hit nine home runs the rest of the way, but his batting average continuously dipped, hitting just .225 in 280 at-bats.
For the season, Kingery hit .258 with 19 home runs, 55 RBI, 34 doubles, 15 stolen bases, and a .788 OPS. All those numbers are an increase over 2018, as was his +2.1 oWAR compared to -0.4 last season.
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The question is whether or not Kingery is more likely to duplicate his first couple months of 2019 or repeated the last few months which are eerily similar to his 2018 output. That is a question to answer next season but his overall offensive production increase is a positive moving forward.
Defensively, Kingery was an overall +1.2 WAR compared to -0.3 in 2018. Despite being more of a natural infielder, Kingery played 69 games in the outfield this past season, committing just three errors in 143 chances with a range factor per nine innings slightly above the league average.
In the infield, Kingery struggled at time defensively at shortstop and third base, committing six errors in 59 games with a fielding percentage around the league average. Kingery’s best defensive position was second base, fielding all 38 chances in ten games.
Certainly, Kingery will be back, but the question is at what position? With Andrew McCutchen likely back from the ACL injury this season and Adam Haseley showing excellent defense in centerfield, Kingery’s home will be in the infield.
Jean Segura will be the shortstop, so Kingery may end up starting at third or second, depending on if Maikel Franco or Cesar Hernandez or both get traded in the offseason.
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The future appears to be bright for Kingery and should be a core piece for the Phillies for years to come.