Scott Kingery

Kingery tested positive for COVID-19 during summer camp, something the Phillies will hope accounts for the entirety of his severe struggles last season. Only one player who came to the plate at least 120 times had a wRC+ lower than his 37, the result of his .159/.228/.283 slash line. He homered just three times and didn't attempt a single steal. A .200 BABIP accounted for some of his struggles at the plate, but a low BABIP should be expected when you simply don't hit the ball hard, as Kingery's average exit velocity dipped from 88.4 mph to 85.3 mph. Statcast does think he deserved far better than he got, though it's not as if his .221 xBA or .406 xSLG were particularly exciting marks. If the 26-year-old's struggles can be entirely attributed to the virus, he could be an interesting bounceback pick, though excitement should be muted even then, as previous seasons weren't anything special.

After a very disappointing rookie season in which he hit just .226/.267/.338, Kingery needed a big step forward in his sophomore campaign. He did just that, hitting .258/.315/.474 with 19 homers and 15 steals in 500 plate appearances. While that's far from an elite batting line (good for a modest 101 wRC+), his cross-category contributions combined with his multi-positional eligibility made him a valuable fantasy asset. It would take another significant step forward for Kingery to advance from a merely useful player to a true star, however, and it's not clear that's in the cards. Even with his improved numbers, he still struck out 29.4% of the time, and Statcast suggests he overachieved in the power department, giving him a .412 xSLG. Kingery should continue to be playable in 2020 as his versatility should keep him in the Phillies' lineup on a regular basis, but don't expect a second breakout.

Excitement was high for Kingery in spring training after he posted excellent minor-league and Grapefruit League numbers and signed an extension that tied him to the Phillies through 2026 before he'd even made his big-league debut. He didn't come anywhere close to living up to the hype, finishing the season with a .226/.267/.338 line, eight homers and 10 steals in 484 plate appearances. In today's low-steal era, that wasn't a totally useless line for NL-only owners, but the season was nevertheless a disappointing one. Kingery is still young, and he had hype for a reason. There's certainly a world in which he improves significantly in his sophomore campaign, but even a sizable step forward would only put Kingery on the periphery of mixed-league viability.

Few prospects changed the conversation more dramatically than Kingery. Coming into the year, he was seen as a good hitter with impact speed. That much hasn’t changed. However, he proceeded to hit 26 home runs in 132 games after hitting just eight home runs in his previous 197 games. Even if we take away the 10 home runs he hit in Reading’s bandbox, he still hit 16 home runs in the remaining 96 games in relatively neutral conditions. If he’s a 15-to-20 home run hitter in the majors and his plus hit tool translates as expected, we could be talking about a top-10 fantasy second baseman. Of course, if the ball stays juiced, he could continue to exceed expectations in the power department once he reaches the majors. The one lock is that he will be a threat to steal 25-plus bases annually. The Phillies will look to clear the decks by dealing Freddy Galvis and/or Cesar Hernandez this offseason, as Kingery and J.P. Crawford are ready to take over up the middle.

Kingery, a 2015 second-round pick out of college, opened last season at High-A Clearwater. He earned a promotion to Double-A at the end of July after slashing .293/.360/.411 with 14 extra-base hits and 26 stolen bases (on 31 attempts) in the Florida State League. The competition at Double-A proved to be more challenging, as Kingery hit just .250/.273/.333 with two homers in 156 at-bats. Kingery does not project to hit for much power, but he does have good speed and has been a good contact hitter prior to his difficulties at Double-A. His fantasy value is going to be tied to his legs, which could produce 30-plus stolen base seasons in the majors. He will also need to hit enough to profile as an everyday second baseman, otherwise his role would be capped as a utility infielder, and he would be quite unappealing in fantasy. He will open this season back at Double-A and could push for a promotion to Triple-A by midseason if he starts hitting again.

The Phillies selected Kingery with the 48th overall pick in the 2015 draft. A speedy contact hitter, Kingery has the defensive versatility to serve as a second baseman or a center fielder thanks to his athleticism. He was assigned to Low-A Lakewood where he played second base and slashed a disappointing .250/.314/.337 with three home runs and 11 steals in his pro debut. While it didn't show in the numbers at Lakewood, Kingery has the tools to move quickly through the minors. His future fantasy value is going to be tied to his ability to swipe bags. The Phillies could move him up to High-A Clearwater to start the 2016 season. If he hits, a move to Double-A by midseason is possible.