Prospect Nation 2016: #15 2B Scott Kingery
Kingery, who was a walk-on as a freshman at Arizona, was named Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2015, in his junior season. The 21-year-old posted a .392/.423/.561 slash line while driving in 36 runs and stealing 11 bases in 54 games.
In three seasons with the Wildcats, Kingery batted .351 while driving in 80 runs and stealing 38 bases in 149 games.
Making his pro debut, the five-foot-10 180-pounder joined the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws in June. In 66 games, he tallied a .250/.314/.337 slash line while swiping 11 bags in 12 opportunities.
Phillies fans will certainly enjoy Kingery’s game, as he is a very exciting young player with all the right tools to become an offensive catalyst at the highest levels of the sport.
Very capable with the bat, Kingery projects to be a very good hitting second baseman that has some consistent pop and can spray the ball to all fields. He is a player that can set the table for his team at the top of the lineup, a spark plug that puts together great at bats.
Speed is a key weapon for him. Very quick-footed, Kingery should be a steady stolen base threat against even the toughest batteries.
A great defender, Kingery features excellent range and quick hands. He’s an exemplary second baseman with a strong arm that can lay out on batted balls in the hole and can turn double plays with the best of them.
Coaches in the Phils’ system were impressed with the Arizona native’s preparation, standing out as a player his teammates could look to as a leader.
Kingery lists Chase Utley and Ian Kinsler among players that he admired and wished to emulate in his younger days.
It’s likely that Kingery will open this coming season as a member of the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. Estimated time of arrival for the big leagues is probably a couple years off.
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Image- Jay Floyd
