Skip to main content

PhoulBallz Off-season Check In: 2B Prospect Scott Kingery

Scott Kingery, image- Jay Floyd
The Phillies' 2nd round draft pick this year was second baseman Scott Kingery. In 66 games with Class A Lakewood after signing his first professional contract, the 21-year-old posted a .250 average with three home runs, 21 RBI and 11 steals.

Kingery, a righty batting second baseman, sported a .392 average while being named Pac-12 player of the year as a member of the Arizona Wildcats in 2015.

The five-foot-10 180-pounder took time recently to talk about his very first off-season, mentoring high school players, feeling inspired by an NBA team and more. Read ahead for the full interview.

-After the season, how much time do you take off from swinging a bat and picking up a ball? Also, during that time, what do you do to stay fit?

I mean, this is my first real off-season. Before this, I was playing year round without a break. So, this is the first time I've had some time off to rest and get my body back in the best shape in can be in. I just started throwing a couple weeks ago and swinging the bat a little bit a couple weeks ago. Before that, I had instructs, so I went a little (longer) than some of the other guys. And I've been just resting and working out and running and keeping my body in shape without doing too much baseball activity because my body needed a break from it.

-Regarding instructs, what was your experience like there in Clearwater for those weeks after the regular season ends and do you feel pressure to impress the organization with all the eyes on you there?

I really looked at it as a way to fine tune some stuff that some people saw during the season. And, to be honest, I think it really helped me. I just tweaked a few things in my swing, worked defensively with a couple guys and figured out some footwork around the bag and worked on defense and tried to fine tune some stuff that will help me during the season.

-You spoke of playing collegiate level and summer leagues, year round. What is it like this year to have this downtime and a true off-season? Does it drive you crazy to not be out on the field?

Shawn Williams, my manager with Lakewood, he put it perfectly. He said, "You guys need the rest, but after about two weeks, you're going to be bored and you're going to want to get back out there on the field." And for me, right now, I'm at the point where I want to start getting back out on the field and play some games again. There's not much to do and when your life's revolved around baseball for 21 years and you finally get some off time, I have no idea what to do. So, I've just been working out and waiting for baseball to start again.

-Are you working a job or doing any clinics to keep busy or earn a check this off-season?

I haven't been working a job, but me and a couple other guys go back to our high school and work with the infielders there and stuff and kind of run some camps. They have winter camps and we just run a couple of those and help out the high schoolers.

-When you were their age did you have players come back to help you and make that type of impression on you to help you develop? And what's it like now to be that guy who mentors younger players?

When I was in high school, there was a couple of guys that came back. Joe Mather was a former big league player and now he's coaching with the Diamondbacks and he would come back and help out and just work with certain specific skills and stuff and it was really cool having those guys there. I knew what it felt like back in the day, so I'm assuming the kids are pretty excited to have me and Cole Tucker, who was in the Sally League last year with West Virginia, to go back and help out and just hang around with the guys for a little bit. I'm sure they're excited for that.

-I know the Phils will issue all their young players workout assignments or guidelines for the off-season, but is there anything specific for you that you are working to improve during the winter?

There wasn't anything specific, but personally, I wanted to put on some weight because, as it is, I'm a small guy and at the end of last season I was really skinny because I had been playing for so long. So, I'm trying to put on some extra weight this off-season, so I can go in and have some extra weight that I can lose and still stay at a healthy playing weight throughout next season.

-Aside from working out with the high school players this off-season, is there anything else you're doing to stay busy or have fun?

I've been hiking a lot. We have a lot of mountains out here in Arizona, so, I go hiking with some of my buddies. We go to some Suns games. Try to make it out to as many Cardinals games as possible, so whatever we can do to have a little fun.

-I know you also vacationed recently out in the bay area and saw a Warriors game. That team could potentially be among the best NBA squads ever. When you're seeing guys do what they do at such an elite level are those guys inspiring to watch, even to athletes from other sports?

It's incredible to just watch how those guy play and how they work together and how dominant they are. You know how much work they've put in and you know exactly what it takes to get to the level that they're at. So, it's really cool getting to watch those guys go out there and play like that.

Image- Jay Floyd

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diekman a Late Addition to Mesa AFL Roster

On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season. Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010. However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing. Diekman had spent time at instructional ball from

2022 Phillies Top Prospects Countdown: #24 RHP Cristian Hernandez

Venezuelan born right-hander Cristian Hernandez has begun to earn recognition as one of the Phillies most promising pitching prospects. Signed as a 16-year-old in 2017 for a reported $120,000, Hernandez got his professional career started the following summer as a starter for the Phillies' Red Dominican Summer League club.  There, in 13 starts, Hernandez tallied a 2-3 record with 2.57 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP as well as a 7.0 K/9 mark. An injury sidelined Hernandez in 2019 and the 2020 season was cancelled due to the global pandemic. In 2021, Hernandez saw his first regular season action in the United States, starting his season in Florida Complex League.  After two appearances there, the six-foot-three 185-pounder was promoted to the Class A Clearwater Threshers.  In 20 combined outings (17 starts), Hernandez notched a 2-7 record with a 3.57 ERA, a .228 batting average against and an 11.2 K/9 mark. Projectability is something that baseball folks like about Hernandez.  His size, consistent

Who is Your Favorite Willie 'Mays' Hayes?

PhoulBallz.com is wondering which individual who has portrayed Willie "Mays" Hayes is the favorite of the public. Hayes, of course, is the character made famous in the Major League motion picture series. In Major League , Willie "Mays" Hayes was portrayed by budding Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, who would go on to action movie superstardom. Snipes has starred in major motion pictures like the Blade trilogy, Passenger 57 , Undisputed and many more. Snipes remains an impact Hollywood actor, despite legal troubles related to income tax evasion. Snipes was replaced for the sequel, Major League II when his busy career, and possibly the film's budget, would not allow him to return, by Omar Epps. Another budding actor, Epps had previously worked with director David S. Ward, on the film The Program , and landed the role of Hayes, who had become a Hollywood action star over the off-season that occured between the two films. Epps' career portraying athletes rolle