Cesar’s Reign Should End
For the first eight games of the season, Cesar Hernandez was the starting second baseman for the Phillies. And through those first eight games, Hernandez hit an abysmal .179/.250/.286, this on the heels of a disappointing 2018 campaign.
In a lineup that is full of studs and that will challenge opposing pitchers one through eight, Hernandez is a glaring weakness.
He finally saw the bench for the first time this season in the opening game against Washington on Monday night. In his place was twenty-four-year-old Scott Kingery. And that’s how it should be more often than not moving forward.
Hernandez is serviceable if he’s your only option. There was hope that moving him down in the order this season would take some of the pressure off him and allow him to flourish, but so far that has not been the case. If anything, it has cemented the fact that Hernandez’s job could and should be in jeopardy.
With Hernandez, we know what his ceiling is, and he’s already reached it. “Cesita” is a career .275 hitter with a little pop – his career high in home runs is 15, set last year. He’s not an on-base machine, though he is serviceable, and he doesn’t get a lot of steals.
With the momentum, this offense is building, having a player like that in the lineup can be a big downer.
Kingery is the exact opposite. For starters, he’s younger and signed to an extremely team-friendly contract. He won’t hit for power much, but his propensity to get on base and steal a bag or two is greater than Hernandez’s, at least there’s more hope for potential in both areas. On top of that, we don’t know what his ceiling is. He joined the Big Leagues last season with a lot of hype but had a pretty disappointing year. A lot of that can be contributed to playing all over the diamond, and not knowing what was going to happen to him on a day to day basis.
So far this year, it seems like the same thing is going to happen. After all, Gabe Kapler has used the same lineup – sans Kingery – in nine of the team’s first ten games. But if Kingery can get everyday at-bats, his sophomore season should be a lot better than his rookie campaign.
One of the best reasons why “Scotty Jetpax” should be the team’s everyday second baseman is his heart and hustle. Just look at his play last week when he made an acrobatic dive at home plate to score on an Andrew McCutchen bases-clearing double. It’s doubtful that you would see Hernandez make that kind of play. On a team that has every player fired up – Bryce Harper bowing to the fans in right field, enthusiastic curtain calls, unique handshakes, waves on the base paths – Kingery’s style of play is a better fit than Cesar’s.
Hernandez still has value for this team – as a trade chip to help the Phillies acquire a starting pitcher or additional bullpen arm. It’s time to allow the Scott Kingery era to begin.
Photo: @MLB_News247 (via Twitter)
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Phillies