Every once in a while, Anthony Contreras made a point to tell his best hitter that he was doing a good job. A small and simple message, but one he felt the player might not be hearing elsewhere.
“He played hard on the field. I would let him know, periodically, that I see that stuff, it doesn’t go unnoticed,” the Phillies’ Triple-A manager said of his chats with Scott Kingery this past season.
“I think that no matter what age or what stature, (it’s important) when you know that somebody’s keeping a close eye on you.”
Rewind seven years ago, and Kingery was in the same place. Slugging his way through Triple-A Lehigh Valley. But back then, he didn’t need reminders that he was still valued. Or pep talks to know the organization was aware. In 2017, that was blatantly obvious.
Kingery was a budding top prospect, and before he had played a Major League game, the Phillies gave him a six-year, $24 million extension to avoid arbitration and essentially declare the infielder a big part of the team’s future.
That contract implied there would be no DFA, no non-tender. The Phillies were gambling on his tantalizing promise; ultimately, that did not pan out.
Seven years later, at age 30, he was back in Triple A, with no pathway to a callup. Two years removed from his last big league game. Three years removed from his last big-league hit. Four years since he’d last hit a long ball.
He might have hit 25 homers in Lehigh Valley. But it was clear — no matter how many pats on the back he got — that his time with the Phillies was over, even if he was still technically employed.
“I knew I was going to have to play well to give myself a chance, and I felt like I did that all year,” Kingery said. “And unfortunately, it didn’t happen for me. As far as I’m concerned that was one of the better years I’ve had. … It just didn’t work out, didn’t get the chance.”
Kingery hopes his career can start anew in 2025. He was traded to the Angels in November for cash considerations, and he has since avoided arbitration with a $770K contract. His new team has a dearth of depth on the infield. They’re an organization where good numbers will lead to bountiful opportunities.
That wasn’t the case in Philadelphia, where Kingery turned into something of a political football — the root cause of his offensive decline and subsequent lack of opportunities becoming a constant topic of conversation.
He initially lived up to the hype — posting a 2.5 WAR season for the Phillies in 2019, when he hit 19 homers with a .788 OPS in 126 games. But he’s played just 52 big league games since. Some of that seems to be due to his controversial approach at the plate.
“To an extent, he was very stubborn with what he wanted to do in the box,” said Contreras, who managed Kingery for three full seasons in Triple A. “I know there was a few times throughout his career with me where I would try to suggest some things. … It was just figuring out ways to be a little more efficient.”
Kingery’s struggles, as he sees it, started in 2020 when a new coaching regime in Philadelphia tried to alter a swing that they viewed as being too power-driven. Before signing that now infamous extension in Philadelphia, Kingery trained with Don Schenck, the personal hitting coach for Aaron Judge, who even Kingery acknowledges is “controversial.”
His swing path heavily prioritized hitting homers, which worked early on. He hit five long balls at Class A in 2016. Then, in 2017, that number ballooned to 26, as he coasted upward through the organization.
Kingery said people love to assign blame to former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler, who utilized his utilityman at seven different positions. But Kingery doesn’t agree. In fact, he said things devolved after Kapler was fired following the 2019 season; the new staff’s disagreements over Kingery’s offensive approach precipitated his decline.
“After Kapler was gone, some new guys came in,” Kingery said. “We didn’t quite agree on hitting philosophy and the way I went about my swing. I felt like I was put in a tough position to succeed the way I wanted to.
“I just felt like I was being pulled in a couple different directions. I got out of the ways that made me successful.”
Eventually, the tug of war turned into apathy. With failures and injuries leaving Kingery unproductive and minor league simply roster filler.
“It’s hard to say somebody’s been forgotten about,” teammate Rhys Hoskins told The Athletic before the 2023 season. “But, yeah, I don’t really know how else to say it.”
Kingery, with nothing to lose, said he did things the way he wanted to in 2024. With that came an uptick in production. His walks decreased significantly. The enhanced aggressiveness resulted in 12 more homers, 25 more hits and 20 more RBI in just 39 more at-bats compared to the year prior. But also zero call-ups. Not even a promotion back to the 40-man roster.
There’s no guarantee that Kingery will ever play for the Angels. In fact, if the infield is healthy on opening day, it would appear unlikely, on paper, that he’d be included. There also remains the possibility the Angels continue adding before the start of the season.
But there are also reasons to believe Kingery could get his chance. Shortstop Zach Neto’s status for Opening Day remains uncertain following offseason shoulder surgery. Anthony Rendon’s roster spot appears more uncertain than ever. And first baseman Niko Kavadas will also have to earn a job in spring.
Chances will exist in Anaheim where they did not in Philadelphia, a team whose infield was established with set, everyday players who pretty much all remained healthy.
“Last year was a good indicator that there’s still a lot of juice left in the tank,” Contreras said. “And I think as he endures more challenges with a fresh scenery, that’s going to spark a whole new energy that he hasn’t felt in a while.”
Kingery thought he was going to be a free agent in 2024. His six-year deal had expired. But, he said a contractual loophole kept him with the Phillies because he remained on a minor league contract, and hadn’t accrued enough service time to become a free agent.
When Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski called him in November to notify him of the trade, he didn’t even realize it was possible. Now, he’s with the Angels, who maintain his rights.
For Kingery, it’s nothing new. He hasn’t been in full control of his baseball career in a long time — be it with his swing, his big-league chances or his ability to test the market.
But, after all these years, he’s got a chance. Perhaps his best, and last chance to prove to others what he’s long thought of himself.
“I truly believed the past couple years that my skillset would play at the big league level,” Kingery said. “Sometimes you’re not in the right spot, and you’re not getting the right opportunities. I’ve always believed that I could still play.”
(Photo: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
