Scott Kingery

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #3 prospect in 2018
  A walk-on at Arizona, Kingery played well in his first full season in 2016 before hitting a wall at Double-A Reading. Returning to the Eastern League in 2017, Kingery clobbered the competition and advanced to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, hitting a career-high 26 home runs after belting just five the previous season. Kingery has a chance to develop into a plus hitter. He has a simple, efficient swing from the right side with good bat speed, balance and barrel control. He recognizes pitches well, stays back on offspeed pitches and covers the plate well, driving the ball with loft to all fields. Kingery has a medium build but strong forearms that help him generate solid-average power and a chance to hit 20 homers. A smart, instinctive player, he is a plus runner who gets good jumps stealing bases. He's also a plus defender at second base, where he has good range and turns the double play well with a fringe-average arm. Kingery is a well-rounded player whose batting, baserunning and defensive value in the middle of the diamond could make him an above-average regular who hits toward the top of a lineup. He likely will open 2018 back in Triple-A, but he should be a key part of Philadelphia's big league club by the all-star break.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #9 prospect in 2017
  Kingery was a walk-on at Arizona, where he formed a double-play combination with Pirates 2015 first-rounder Kevin Newman. Kingery showed enough for the Phillies to sign him for $1,259,600 as a second-round pick in 2015. He hit well at high Class A Clearwater in 2016, but when he got to Double-A Reading in late July he seemed run down, which carried over to the Arizona Fall League as well. Kingery seems to grow on scouts the more they see him. He has a quick righthanded stroke that's short, simple and repeatable. He has good bat control and plate coverage, and he stays through the middle of the field. He has good strike-zone judgment, though that came unglued when he got to Double-A when he got away from his usually disciplined approach. Kingery's power is mostly to the gaps, but he can occasionally pull a ball over the fence. His plus speed and baserunning savvy helped him steal 30 bases in 2016. Kingery can look awkward at times in the field, but he is a solid-average defender at second base who's quick on the double-play pivot with an average arm. Kingery isn't flashy, but he has a chance to grow into an average regular at second base. He appears set to return to Double-A to begin 2017.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #14 prospect in 2016
  A recruited walk-on, Kingery teamed up the middle at Arizona with Pirates first-rounder Kevin Newman. He led the Pacific-12 Conference with a .392 average in 2015, and his five home runs placed second on the Wildcats. The Phillies signed Kingery, their second-round pick, for $1,259,600. Though he didn't show it in his stint at low Class A Lakewood, Kingery profiles as an offensive second baseman with enough defensive skills to keep him at the position. Those who saw him in pro ball saw a physically mature player who flashed plus speed but below-average power. His solid bat-to-ball skills will make him at least an average hitter, and he has enough athleticism to have average range at second base or in the outfield, if necessary. His arm also grades as average. After a long year in 2015 between college, the minors and instructional league, Kingery should benefit from the offseason rest. Given his draft pedigree, he should start 2016 at high Class A Clearwater.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #40 prospect in 2015 draft
  Converting from center field to second base for his junior year at Arizona, Kingery turned out to be one of the bigger surprises of the 2015 college season. The Phoenix-area product had led the Pacific-12 Conference in batting all year and ranked among the national top 10 with two weeks remaining in the regular season. Kingery is a top-of-the-order line-drive hitter with a short stroke and plus-plus speed. Scouts get times faster than 4.1 seconds on him to first base from the right side, yet Kingery lacks true basestealing instincts. He has a modest 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame but with solid hand strength and a compact short stroke at the plate. After drawing 33 walks as a sophomore, he had just nine as a junior, but his greater aggression had paid off in more power, both to the gaps and at times with some loft in his swing. He's a solid defender at second base and has an average arm for some, though it's likely not enough for a consistent role on the left side of the infield. He could wind up back in the outfield as well if he hits enough to be a regular. Undrafted out of high school and a recruited walk-on to Arizona, Kingery is a grinder who drew multiple comparisons to big league veteran and fellow Arizona native Ian Kinsler, albeit with less power.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #8 prospect in 2017
  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.
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  Ranked Eastern League #6 prospect in 2017
  For the first half of the season, Kingery was the unquestioned best player in the league. Like many Phillies players who advance to Reading, a notorious home run park, his power spiked in a big way. After hitting just eight home runs in his previous two seasons, Kingery slammed 18 in 69 games with Reading and led the minors in that category for a time. It wasn't just a Reading illusion--he produced similar rates of power on the road. Kingery has a chance to be an impact offensive player capable of double-digit homers and steals, thanks to plus speed. On defense, Kingery shows above-athleticism and quick hands needed to stay at second base. He played outfield for a time in college and could play there in the majors, if necessary.
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #14 prospect in 2016
  A former walk-on at Arizona, Kingery formed a double-play tandem in 2015 with Kevin Newman before facing him this year for two games in the FSL. Kingery was key to the Threshers' league-best record, and he tied for the FSL lead in doubles (29) while ranking fourth in batting (.293). Kingery lacks smoothness in the field but has at least average arm strength and can turn the double play with a quick pivot at second base. He has quick hands, which work in the field and at the plate. His arm strength could allow him to fill in at shortstop and also could help him add versatility for a utility role. Kingery shows plus speed with sub-4.0-seconds times to first base on drag bunts, and he repeated his simple, short swing, producing power to the gaps. One veteran scout likened his offensive game to former all-star Chuck Knoblauch. He'll have to control the strike zone a bit more to fit the leadoff profile.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #31 prospect in 2018

• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A walk-on at Arizona, Kingery played well in his first full season in 2016 before hitting a wall at Double-A Reading. Returning to the Eastern League in 2017, Kingery clobbered the competition and advanced to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, hitting a career-high 26 home runs after belting just five the previous season. Scouting Report: Kingery has a chance to develop into a plus hitter. He has a simple, efficient swing with good bat speed, balance and barrel control. He recognizes pitches, stays back on offspeed pitches and covers the plate, driving the ball with loft to all fields. Kingery has a medium build but strong forearms that help him generate solid-average power and a chance to hit 20 homers. A smart, instinctive player, he is a plus runner who gets good jumps stealing bases. He's also a plus defender at second base, where he has good range and turns the double play well with a fringe-average arm. The Future: Kingery is a well-rounded player whose batting, baserunning and defensive value in the middle of the diamond could make him an above-average regular who hits toward the top of a lineup. He likely will open 2018 back in Triple-A, but he should be a key part of Philadelphia's big league club by the all-star break.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Kingery was a walk-on at Arizona, where he formed a double-play combination with Pirates 2015 first-rounder Kevin Newman. Kingery showed enough for the Phillies to sign him for $1,259,600 as a second-round pick in 2015. He hit well at high Class A Clearwater in 2016, but when he got to Double-A Reading in late July he seemed run down, which carried over to the Arizona Fall League as well. Scouting Report: Kingery seems to grow on scouts the more they see him. He has a quick righthanded stroke that's short, simple and repeatable. He has good bat control and plate coverage, and he stays through the middle of the field. He has good strike-zone judgment, though that came unglued when he got to Double-A when he got away from his usually disciplined approach. Kingery's power is mostly to the gaps, but he can occasionally pull a ball over the fence. His plus speed and baserunning savvy helped him steal 30 bases in 2016. Kingery can look awkward at times in the field, but he is a solid-average defender at second base who's quick on the double-play pivot with an average arm.
  
  The Future: Kingery isn't flashy, but he has a chance to grow into an average regular at second base. He appears set to return to Double-A to begin 2017.