Scott Kingery offering Phillies much-needed hope for future

For a franchise sorely lacking in homegrown talent at the moment, second-year utility man Scott Kingery is proving to be an important factor in helping the Phillies to compete in the increasingly tough National League East.

Look no further than Sunday night, when the Philadelphia Phillies were trying desperately to stave off being swept at home by the hated New York Mets.

Tie game, bottom of the eighth inning, and bases loaded after the Mets had chosen to intentionally walk Cesar Hernandez to pitch to Scott Kingery, hoping to induce a force out somewhere or maybe even an inning-ending double play.

Instead, Kingery ripped a bases-clearing double to left-center field, giving the Phillies a 5-2 lead that they would not relinquish.

It was arguably the biggest moment of Kingery’s still-young career so far and perhaps a harbinger of big things to come for a player that the Phillies signed to a long-term contract before he ever appeared in an MLB game.

I personally have hated the way that Kingery has been deployed in his first two seasons. A natural second baseman, Kingery was pressed into heavy duty at shortstop in 2018 after top prospect J.P. Crawford showed that he was neither up to the task of playing everyday nor staying healthy.

Kingery held his own at the position for much of the year, although he grades out as below average at shortstop overall. Gabe Kapler also moved him around to third base and the outfield in an effort to get him regular at bats, but all of the constant shifting was detrimental to his offense.

I believe that a good deal of Kingery’s struggles at the plate as a rookie (.226 average in nearly 500 plate appearances) are a direct result of having to put extra work in to improve the defensive aspects of his game.

It’s already difficult enough for a rookie to adjust to the big leagues, but the Phillies made the transition even harder for Kingery by removing all familiarity from the defensive half of the game for him.

In fact, he appeared in only four games at second base last year. Frankly, I wasn’t surprised at the meager results that Kingery generated at the plate.

But Kingery has been a different, far superior player so far in 2019. And this is despite the fact that the Phillies continue to do him no favors by constantly shifting him around the diamond. Yet, he’s been up to the task.

Kingery will never be a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder, but he has not looked out of place in his 54 appearances there this year thanks to his natural athleticism as the Phillies continue to deal with injury after injury and the occasional suspension.

He has also played more at second base, thankfully, and third base this year due to the precipitous decline of Maikel Franco, who is the only player that Kapler has successfully punished/scapegoated in his tenure as manager.

But I am still waiting for the day when the Phillies will finally hand Kingery a nice, comfortable everyday position so that he can truly showcase his full talent. It’s something that the Phillies need desperately as division rivals continue to churn out the kind of young, cheap star players that can lead you to championships.

The Mets feature Pete Alonso, a rookie who may hit 50 home runs this year. The Washington Nationals look set for years with the likes of Trea Turner and Juan Soto, among others.

The Atlanta Braves have a guy named Ronald Acuna Jr. who, the rumor goes, is pretty good. And laugh at the Miami Marlins all you want, but they have a track record of getting a few great seasons out of young superstars before they trade them and start all over again.

So, while the Phillies can make automatic upgrades when they sign Bryce Harper or trade for J.T. Realmuto, true sustainable value comes from within the system.

Maybe Alec Bohm or even Mickey Moniak will join Kingery eventually as lineup building blocks that the team developed on its own without having to spend money or trade assets to acquire.

These kinds of roster pieces are critical to the Phillies being able to compete long-term in the National League East. In a way, this process started with Rhys Hoskins, who will also be crucial to the Phillies’ chances over the next several years.

But Kingery could be the real linchpin here, helping the team stay relevant in a division that is absolutely stacked with young talent.

Kingery has shown excellent growth in 2019, one of the few Phillies that you can say that about this year. If he can maintain this trajectory, he is primed to be an invaluable member of the team for years to come.