Some Philadelphia Phillies fans and experts believe that former second-round choice Scott Kingery should be called up after the team’s disappointing July at the plate. In 90 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Kingery has a.275/.326/.526 batting line, 22 home runs, 55 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 106 strikeouts. He now has a.337 BABIP and a 113 wRC+, as well as a 7.2% walk rate and a 29.3% strikeout rate. In 19 games in July, Kingery had a.983 OPS and seven home runs. So far, he has carried his success into August, with a 1.212 OPS and one home run in three games.
Despite these great statistics, there is no need to call Kingery up to a major league club.
Kingery also has an intriguing contractual status. During the winter, the Phillies declined the club option on his six-year contract inked in 2018. However, Kingery was not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster at the time and had yet to accumulate the major league service time required to become free agent eligible. This meant that the Phillies could still re-sign Kingery to a minor league contract. They accomplished exactly that during the 2024 season. Kingery’s future with the team is unclear beyond this season. In all likelihood, the Phillies’ 2015 second-round pick will play for another team next season.
The Phillies Do Not Need to Call Up Scott Kingery
Lack Of Major League Success
Scott Kingery has participated in 325 major league games over five seasons, all with the Phillies. In 1,127 plate appearances, he has posted a .229/.280/.387 batting line with 30 home runs and 96 RBI, along with 25 stolen bases. His career BABIP is .299 and he has a 73 wRC+, with a 5.9% walk rate and a 28.4% strikeout rate. FanGraphs rates his offensive value at -32.5. Kingery’s most recent major league appearance was in 2022, and his last at-bat was in 2021, during which he only appeared in 16 games.
Defensively, FanGraphs assigns Kingery a -0.5 defensive value across seven positions. He has not played catcher or first base in the majors. His primary positions have been shortstop and center field, with three Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop and none in center field. At second base, he has recorded -9 Defensive Runs Saved, which reflects his performance in Triple-A this season as well.
Limited 40-Man Roster Space
One consideration that those advocating for the promotion of the 30-year-old Kingery might overlook is the current lack of space on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, where he is not currently included. Presently, the roster has 39 players. However, Dylan Covey, who is on a rehab assignment, could potentially return from the 60-day injured list this season. Since Covey was on the 40-man roster before his IL stint, he would reclaim a spot upon activation. The timeline for Covey’s return, or even whether he will return this season, remains uncertain.
While adding Kingery to the 40-man roster wouldn’t require anyone to be designated for assignment at this moment, it could pose future complications. Additionally, although Kody Clemens appeared in the majors earlier this season, he is not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster at present. The team’s transactions log does not indicate that Clemens cleared waivers or was removed from the roster. Seth Johnson, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the Gregory Soto trade, now occupies one of the spots on the 40-man roster that was available before the trade deadline.
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