Larry Bowa: Phillies’ Scott Kingery Has All-Star Potential
By Matt Rappa
Larry Bowa thinks the Phillies’ Scott Kingery, an “unbelievable second baseman,” would be an All-Star if he plays the position every day in 2020.
The Philadelphia Phillies have nothing but trust and positive thoughts of utility player Scott Kingery.
The 25-year-old is coming off of his second second in the majors, in which he slashed .258/.315/.474 with a career-high 19 home runs and 55 RBI over 126 games.
Kingery also fielded six different positions, logging 479 1/3 innings in center field, 306 1/3 innings at third base, 119 1/3 innings at shortstop, 65 2/3 innings at second base, 39 1/3 innings at left field, and 2 innings at right field.
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He committed only nine errors, none of which came at second base spanning 38 chances. And, for Larry Bowa, Senior Advisor to General Manager Matt Klentak, playing Kingery full-time at the position would yield positive results for the Phillies.
“This kid is a great athlete, he can play anywhere you want,” Bowa said Friday evening on SportsRadio 94 WIP. “But, if we put him at second base, he would be an All-Star there. He’s an unbelievable second baseman.”
Thus far in his career, including his rookie season (2018), Kingery has committed only one error at second base spanning 88 2/3 innings, while also turning a combined seven double plays, recording 22 putouts and 25 assists. He came up in the Phillies system playing mostly second base; it’s simply his natural position, one that Bowa thinks him playing full-time would benefit his career.
“I think, mentally, when he knows he’s going to play there 155-160 games, you’re going to see a big upswing in his batting average,” Bowa said.
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Cesar Hernandez has stood in the way of Kingery playing at second base full-time; Hernandez, one of the Phillies’ many arbitration-eligible players, could be non-tendered by the team, leaving second base open for the Phoenix, Arizona, native.
Yet, if Kingery plays second base full-time, the Phillies would surely miss his ability to play almost every position.
“The bad thing about Scotty right now is, he’s so good at all the other positions,” Bowa said. “If we’re not able to fill those other positions, we know he can play second, short, center, third.”
“It’s been held against him a little bit because he’s an unbelievable second baseman, and I expect big things from him. Hopefully we can put him out there and leave him there, because I think this kid’s going to have a very good career.”
Hernandez has played seven seasons in red pinstripes dating back to 2013; he has produced a least 14 home runs, 60 RBI, and a .253 or greater bating average in each of the past two seasons. Yet, the Phillies could look to spend Hernandez’s estimated $11.8 million arbitration salary elsewhere and instead play Kingery full-time at second-base in 2020 and beyond.
If it comes to that, the Phillies, Bowa included, have full trust Kingery can get the job done. After all, they did sign him to a historic, six-year contract before even playing his first career MLB game.