While Phillies fans await the next step in 2018 toward contention, they have their beliefs about players who demonstrated their potential to general manager Matt Klentak and his staff during 2017’s second half.
Three future stars:
During the upcoming campaign, the Philadelphia Phillies will have their share of ups and downs, and the locals will anticipate no end to the losing spells or the magic during winning stretches. And because a particular hitter doesn’t average .280 and/or belt 20 home runs, he will only let you down if you demand too much for your approval.
"IN OTHER WORDS: “When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.” – Donald Miller"
When it comes to the basics, GMs are open about their experiences. For instance, they say it takes a player three years to make an impact. And they mean the average major leaguer, not a superstar.
For the Phils, Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins are probably the exceptions because the time to make their mark could be a bit shorter. Yes, both are a cut above other regulars and starters.
As for J.P. Crawford, Jorge Alfaro and second baseman Scott Kingery, they will be facing challenges and obstacles with more difficulty. However, this article covers these three because they have only 171 MLB plate appearances between them.
Regarding Kingery, management wants 400-500 at-bats with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs before considering a promotion. And he had 265 ABs in the International League for ’17, but he’ll add another 200 by next May. Ergo, he’ll be a hot streak away from advancement near May’s end.
According to Hoskins during a clubhouse interview, Kingery is ready, and his numbers with the IronPigs and the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils basically confirm the first sacker’s evaluation in August. Kingery passed his teammate’s eye test.
Behind the front-office doors, Klentak will examine the second baseman’s plate discipline. Unfortunately, he dropped from average in walk percentage at Reading to the lowest category with Lehigh Valley: awful. And his strikeout percentage at Double-A went from above to below average after his elevation to Triple-A.
By comparison, Cesar Hernandez was above average in both categories for the campaign: 511 at-bats, 577 plate appearances, and 128 games. In other words, Klentak won’t quickly move Hernandez or promote Kingery.
As for the rookie-to-be, he’ll average roughly .280 in April and .300 for May with the IronPigs. Then, Kingery will see fastballs for his first MLB month, and he’ll get his first taste of success in the Show. And when he does, pitchers will make adjustments on him.