6 Phillies difference-makers for 2020
By Tal Venada
Developing talent:
For the Phillies, Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery are now in their making-an-impact years, which occurs in or after a third season. Hoskins has played a third of his third campaign and wants to bounce back from 2019’s second half. Assume failure or expect a comeback?
Basically, an all-out effort is possible within a half-summer’s playing time. And Hoskins surely can redeem himself after his uncharacteristic performance despite a solid first half. Unfortunately, the faithful have little patience for subpar production even with 20 bombs and 59 RBIs before the All-Star break.
If you double Hoskins’ stats from the first half other than his .263 average, he would have hit 40 long balls with 118 RBIs. Yes, those numbers would be more like your expectations, no? To do that, though, would take 178 contests and 630 at-bats: doubled figures as well.
Kingery is a better example of a developing player because of his noticeable production increase. However, some locals had expected the .300 hitter from Double-A, while disappointed others had soured on him. But developing today includes making an impact in or after their third year, and he has two full 162s on the books.
Kingery, almost 26:
- 2018: 147 Gms., 484 PA, .226 Avg., a .267 OBP, 8 HR, 35 RBI, a .605 OPS, a 61 wRC+ and a -0.1 fWAR.
- 2019: 126 Gms., 500 PA, .258 Avg., a .315 OBP, 19 HR, 55 RBI, a .785 OPS, a 101 wRC+ and a 2.7 fWAR.
In baseball and many industries, most employees earn merit-based promotions. Initially, Kingery had lacked the qualifications to be the regular second baseman, but some then labeled him a utility player due to his statistics and usage. To be a starter, though, 2019’s production and anticipated growth were the factors.
If the MLB has an 81-game schedule, Kingery could hit .270 to .280 with 12-14 homers and 35-45 RBIs. For a complete 162, double those stats for 24-28 home runs and 70-90 RBIs. Basically, the second sacker will benefit from a regular spot, and he appears to be a third-year impact star.