From walk-on to top prospect, Angels' Scott Kingery searches for a career revival

One of the least talked about moves during the Angels' offseason was their November 1st acquisition of former Philadelphia Phillies utility man, Scott Kingery. Kingery last appeared in the majors in 2022, playing just one game with the Phillies, and has long since disappeared from even the most ardent MLB fan's radar.

That's why, despite all the Angels' needs in the infield, Kingery might be taking a back seat to the likes of Tim Anderson and J.D. Davis who headline the crop of minor-league contract non-roster invitees leading the competition for end-of-the-bench roles in 2025.

Given his struggles and ultimate disappearance from the limelight, it's easy to forget that Kingery was once a top prospect in all of baseball. While he struggled in his rookie season in 2018 slashing .226/.267/.338, Kingery seemed to rebound the following year posting a .258/.315/.474 line with 19 homers putting him back on his expected trajectory. Except things didn't go as planned and the now 30-year-old would log just 143 total plate appearances in the years to come.

The reasons for Kingery's demise are unknown. Some speculate that the Phillies demanding he play so many different positions -- second, short, third, and all three outfield positions -- stunted his development. Others believe a divergence in offensive philosophy after a regime change in Philly sealed his fate.

Scott Kingery is no stranger to being counted out and could become an intriguing piece for the Angels

Long before Kingery was a highly touted prospect, he was an unknown high school player who received little recruitment. He ultimately walked on at the University of Arizona. He overcame that adversity and did nothing but hit, finishing his collegiate career with a .351/.425/.485 line in 149 games.

That performance enticed the Phillies to draft him in the second round in 2015 where he was the 48th player selected. Kingery ran with the opportunity and excelled, posting a minor-league career-best year in 2017 slashing .304/.359/.530 with 26 homers and a 143 wRC+ between AA and AAA.

While things have gone downhill since, Kingery's resolve to overcome the odds as a walk-on who was snubbed in the recruiting process and prove himself both in college, the minors, and briefly in the bigs in 2019, speaks to the potential that he may still be able to realize.

The Angels will need early season depth at shortstop with Zach Neto's timetable for return up in the air. They'll need insurance at second should top prospect Christian Moore falter. They might need another answer at third should the oft-injured Yoan Moncada fall. They have no clear answer in center after moving Mike Trout to right. The odds are long, but Scott Kingery could overcome them and be the depth answer at all of the positions should he overcome them, just as he has in the past.

Acquiring Scott Kingery wasn't the most exciting move the Angels made this offseason, but he's an intriguing change-of-scenery candidate who should not be overlooked in spring training as he tries to revive his career.

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