Scott Kingery Needs to be Better
The 2020 Phillies’ season did not go according to plan.
To put it bluntly, it was a disaster.
Right now there’s a lot of talk about re-signing J.T. Realmuto, the demotion of General Manager Matt Klentak, and how to fix the worst bullpen in baseball.
If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that Bryce Harper is going to continue being vocal and instrumental in what the Phillies do this offseason.
But with all of the holes the Phillies need to address before the 2021 season kicks off, there’s one player who is flying under the radar – super-utility man Scott Kingery.
If 2020 was bad for the Phillies, it was even worse for “Scotty Jet-Pax.” Before the season started, he came down with COVID-19 and detailed his struggles with it.
He dealt with shoulder and back problems throughout the season, possibly related to his bout with the coronavirus, and never seemed to hit his stride at all.
He hit an abysmal .159/.228/.283 with only three home runs and six RBI. He did give us a walk-off home run at the end of August at least.
http://twitter.com/nickpiccone/status/1299556817220108289?s=20
Besides that moment though, Kingery was invisible. Well, not quite. It may have been better if he were invisible this season, maybe then he wouldn’t have hurt the Phillies as much as he did. Kingery was the easiest out in the lineup, frequently ending rallies. For a guy supposedly renowned for his speed, he didn’t even steal a base this year!
How much of Kingery’s struggles this year were COVID-related? We’ll never know. But his two years in the big leagues before this season weren’t great either, certainly not indicative of the play we were expecting from a guy who signed a six-year, $24 million contract before even playing a game at the Major League level.
Photo: Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer
It’s that affordable contract that is going to ensure Kingery has another shot at redemption in 2021.
And he needs to capitalize on it, because it’s looking like the Phillies are going to need him to be relying on him once again.
Didi Gregorius is a free agent and may not be back (although the front office certainly needs to entertain it). Jean Segura seems to be locked into one of the middle infield spots, depending on what happens with Sir Didi. But if Didi leaves? Kingery gets the other middle infield spot. At the moment, there doesn’t appear to be any other candidate for it.
If he’s not there, the center field could be another option for him. Roman Quinn, for all of the value his speed brings to the team, can’t hit and makes too many bone-headed plays in center field to be the starter. Which is sad. I was a big fan of Quinn earlier this year, but he continues to make me regret that position. Adam Haseley seemed to have been forgotten about at times this season. He was never given a chance to hit lefties, and he never played consistent enough to get into a rhythm. If the Phillies don’t trust Haseley to be the full-time starter in center, Kingery could see time there. Though, given the choice between the two of them, give me Haseley every day of the week.
The point is, Kingery is going to be relied on heavily in 2021. Next season has the feels of a make or break season for him, and he can ill afford another terrible performance. If the Phillies end up bringing back the Best Catcher in Baseball, re-signing Didi, fixing the bullpen, and adding another starter, none of it will matter if Kingery has another season as he did in 2020.
If he is once again one of the easiest outs in all of baseball, the Phillies’ playoff run will be over before it even begins.
Featured Image: Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Categorized:Phillies