Scott Kingery | |
---|---|
Los Angeles Angels | |
Utility player | |
Born: Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | April 29, 1994|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
March 30, 2018, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
MLB statistics (through 2021 season) | |
Batting average | .229 |
Home runs | 30 |
Runs batted in | 96 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Scott Michael Kingery (born April 29, 1994) is an American professional baseball utility player for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Philadelphia Phillies selected Kingery in the second round, 48th overall, of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, and he played with them from 2018 to 2022.
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Kingery's baseball career began with a trip to the 2006 Little League World Series. From there, he attended Mountain Pointe High School, where college recruiters overlooked his skill at shortstop due to his small frame. Kingery originally committed to play college baseball for Central Arizona College but ultimately accepted an offer to play for the Arizona Wildcats baseball team as a preferred walk-on. He played his first two seasons in the outfield before switching to second base as a junior in 2015; there, Kingery was named the Pac-12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
After signing with Philadelphia in 2015, Kingery spent the next three seasons rising through the Phillies' farm system, including an appearance at the 2017 All-Star Futures Game. The Phillies signed Kingery to a six-year contract extension just before the 2018 season, and he made his major league debut that opening day. The Phillies told Kingery, who had primarily played middle infield positions, that he was to be used as a utility player, and he spent the bulk of his rookie season at shortstop. The following year, a depleted Phillies bench pushed Kingery to the outfield as his batting average and home run numbers continued to improve. Kingery's career suffered in 2020 due to lingering effects of the COVID-19 virus, and on June 7, 2021, he was designated for assignment and outrighted to the minor leagues.
On November 1, 2024, Kingery was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations.