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While a strong spring wasn’t enough for Scott Kingery to make the Opening Day roster of the Philadelphia Phillies, the former top prospect continues to make his case to trade in his double-flapped Lehigh Valley IronPigs batting helmet for a single-flapped Major League one.
Hitting second and playing center field for the IronPigs in their season-opener Friday, Kingery went 1-for-5. However, the one was a long home run that eventually helped the Pigs to an Opening Day victory:
Kingery certainly had some assistance from the wind Friday, but it didn’t take him long to hit another majestic home run Saturday afternoon in Rochester:
All this comes after Kingery slashed .340/.415/.447 with a home run, four RBIs and an .862 OPS in 47 at-bats for the Phillies in the Grapefruit League.
Even with Kingery’s positional flexibility, it will likely take an injury or two for him to get a Major League opportunity in 2023. The recently-acquired Cristian Pache is out of minor league options, so he can’t be optioned to Triple-A. And both Edmundo Sosa and Josh Harrison are entrenched as veteran options on the bench.
Kody Clemens and Dalton Guthrie are also at Triple-A, meaning even if there was an injury that could theoretically open up a spot for Kingery with the Phillies, it’s not a guarantee that the 28-year-old would get the call. Kingery isn’t currently on the 40-man roster, while both Clemens and Guthrie are, which works against him.
However, if you produce well enough, you can force the hand of management. Kingery — in the final guaranteed year of a six-year/$24 million deal — was excellent for the Phillies in the first half of the 2019 season. If that player re-emerges, Kingery could become one of the best stories of the 2023 MLB season.
