End of an Era: Phillies’ legend Scott Kingery acquired by the Los Angeles Angels for Cash Considerations

The Philadelphia Phillies thought they had a franchise cornerstone when they selected Scott Kingery in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Coming off an impressive season as the Pac-12 Player of the Year at the University of Arizona and a standout performance in the Cape Cod League, Kingery seemed like a lock to be a future star.

Kingery’s climb through the Phillies’ system was rapid. By his second year, he was at Double-A; by his third, he had reached Triple-A. By 2018, he was Philadelphia’s No. 2 overall prospect, and the Phillies fast-tracked him to the big leagues, placing him on the Opening Day roster.

He appeared in 147 games that rookie season, and while his numbers were underwhelming (with an OPS+ of 61), there were still flashes of potential.

In 2019, he looked like he might be turning a corner, slashing .258/.315/.474 with 19 homers and an OPS+ of 101. But just as he seemed to be finding his footing, Kingery’s career took a drastic turn. In 2020, he contracted COVID-19, forcing him to quarantine and step away from baseball at a critical time. When he returned, his performance was never the same.

His offensive struggles were glaring, and he quickly went from a key piece of the Phillies’ future to a player fighting to stay in the majors.

Scott Kingery played two full seasons at the major league level and in 2020, the Phillies organization decided to give up on him. Why?

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Note: Not a single person on the internet can answer the WHY question.

End of an Era: The Los Angeles Angels have acquired Philadelphia Phillies legend Scott Kingery for cash considerations.

The Phillies have traded INF/OF Scott Kingery to LAA in exchange for cash considerations.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) November 1, 2024

Obviously, the majority of TLL readers know by now that I wholeheartedly believe Scott Kingery’s time within the Philadelphia Phillies organization started out promising and ended in a blatant hostage crisis.

Hostage Crisis: Scott Kingery needs to be on the Phillies 40-man and major league roster immediately

Last season, Scott Kingery was trapped in Triple A jail at the hands of the Phillies. It was clear as day that the Phillies had given up on him, regardless of the numbers he put up in Lehigh Valley and the fact that he was the best “utility” option that the team had available.

Scott Kingery Statistics:

Kingery hit .268 with an .804 OPS in Triple A last season. He hit 25 dingers to go along with 67 RBI and 25 stolen bases. He posted 124 hits and 73 runs scored in 463 at-bats in Lehigh Valley while taking home the IronPigs’ Hitter of the Year Award.

Scott Kingery 2024 Lehigh Valley IronPigs Hitter of the Year Award

Post by @thirtyballparks

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There’s was never really a reason as to why Scott Kingery and Jetpax SZN didn’t get another shot at the major league level with the Phillies and the fact that John Middleton and Dave Dombrowski completely ignored what he accomplished in 2024 was nothing short of organizational malpractice.

Here’s to hoping that Scott Kingery lights up Major League Baseball alongside other ex-Phillies Logan O’Hoppe and Mickey Moniak.

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