Scott Kingery Bio
Scott Michael Kingery, born on April 29, 1994, is an American professional baseball utility player currently in the Chicago Cubs organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Angels. Selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2015 MLB draft, Kingery has spent his career transitioning between second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield, earning a reputation for his defensive versatility and offensive upside.
After developing into one of the Phillies’ top prospects, Kingery signed a six-year contract extension and made his major league debut on Opening Day in 2018. His career has included a strong 2019 campaign, challenges related to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic, and stints in the minor leagues before a 2025 stop with the Angels and a subsequent move to the Cubs organization.
Early Life and Background
Scott Michael Kingery was born on April 29, 1994, in Phoenix, Arizona. His father, Tom Kingery, worked as a corporate account manager for American Express, while his mother, Patti Kingery, taught preschool at a private school in the Phoenix area. Kingery grew up alongside his identical twin brother, Sam, and both boys began playing baseball at the age of five, coached by their father through 2006.
That year, the Kingery family was part of the Ahwatukee Foothills Little League team that won the West Region and advanced to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Scott played shortstop, while Sam played second base, and the team was eliminated in the semifinals by a squad from Columbus, Georgia. Kingery has cited Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia as his childhood role model, drawing inspiration from Pedroia’s success as an undersized middle infielder.
Always small for his age, Kingery attended Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee, where he was known for his defensive instincts and offensive production. As a junior, he batted .495 with 10 home runs and 39 runs batted in, and as a senior, he batted .485 with eight home runs and 36 runs batted in. Despite these numbers, college recruiters overlooked him due to his short frame.
Path to Professional Baseball
Although overlooked by many major college programs, Kingery initially committed to play for Central Arizona College before receiving an offer from the University of Arizona to join the Wildcats as a preferred walk-on. During his first two seasons with the Arizona Wildcats baseball team, he played center field. As a freshman in 2012, he batted .261 in 30 starts, and he followed that by batting .354 with 26 runs batted in and 19 stolen bases as a sophomore, earning All-Pac-12 Conference honors. He also spent the summer after his sophomore year with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he batted .312 and played in the Cape Cod All-Star Game.
As a junior in 2015, Kingery moved to second base and had his most decorated college season. He led the Pac-12 Conference with a .392 batting average, 53 runs scored, 93 hits, and 133 total bases, while also adding 15 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 36 runs batted in, and 11 stolen bases in 54 games. He was named the Pac-12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year, becoming the first Wildcat to win the award since Alex Mejia in 2012, and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award as the best college baseball player in the United States.
Following the 2015 college season, the Philadelphia Phillies selected Kingery in the second round, 48th overall, in the 2015 MLB draft. He signed with the organization on June 16, 2015, and began his professional career that summer with the Single-A Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League.
Scott Kingery Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
After signing with the Phillies, Kingery began his professional career as the starting second baseman for the Lakewood BlueClaws, where he posted a .250 batting average with three home runs and 21 runs batted in. In 2016, he advanced to the High-A Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League, earning midseason and postseason All-Star honors while batting .293 with 29 doubles and 26 stolen bases in 94 games. He finished that year with a brief promotion to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils and a stint in the Arizona Fall League with the Scottsdale Scorpions.
In 2017, Kingery had his breakout minor league season. He led all of minor league baseball with 16 home runs in his first 45 games and was promoted to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs on June 26, 2017, exactly two years after his professional debut. He and fellow prospect Rhys Hoskins were selected for the 2017 All-Star Futures Game. Kingery finished the year batting .294 with eight home runs in Triple-A and was named to Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star Second Team while also receiving the Phillies’ Paul Owens Award as the top position player in the organization’s farm system.
Philadelphia Phillies Breakthrough (2018–2022)
Following an impressive spring training in 2018, the Phillies signed Kingery to a six-year, $24 million contract extension on March 25, 2018, and added him to the Opening Day roster. He made his major league debut that day against the Atlanta Braves, collecting two hits at third base. During a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds in April, he recorded his first major league home run, his first grand slam, and his first career walkoff. Kingery spent most of his rookie year at shortstop and finished batting .226 with eight home runs, 38 runs batted in, and 55 runs scored in 452 at bats.
During the 2018–19 offseason, Kingery trained with Aaron Judge and private hitting coach Richard Schenck to improve his plate discipline, and the work translated into a stronger 2019 season. He batted .258 with 19 home runs while splitting time across the outfield and infield as injuries and suspensions to teammates created opportunities. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, however, Kingery struggled with lingering effects from COVID-19 and batted .159 in 36 games. He was optioned to the minor leagues in March 2021, designated for assignment on June 7, 2021, and underwent shoulder surgery later that summer, causing him to miss the rest of the season.
Kingery spent 2022 and 2023 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In 2023, he played 117 games and batted .244 with 13 home runs, 47 runs batted in, and 24 stolen bases. Although the Phillies declined his option after that season, he remained in the organization because of the structure of his original minor league contract.
Los Angeles Angels Era (2024–2025)
On November 1, 2024, the Phillies traded Kingery to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for cash considerations, and the Angels added him to their 40-man roster a few days later. He was designated for assignment in March 2025 after the team acquired Ángel Perdomo and was sent outright to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. In the Pacific Coast League, Kingery hit a combined .373, though his numbers were inflated by a high batting average on balls in play.
On May 28, 2025, the Angels selected Kingery’s contract, adding him to the active roster as a replacement for Tim Anderson. In 14 appearances with Los Angeles, he went 4-for-25 with one stolen base and two walks. He was designated for assignment on August 11, returned to the active roster on September 1, and was designated for assignment again on September 13. Kingery elected free agency on September 29, 2025.
Chicago Cubs Era (2026–Present)
On December 2, 2025, Kingery signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs and was added to the organization’s system. On March 25, 2026, the Cubs selected his contract after he made the team’s Opening Day roster. He appeared briefly with the Cubs before clearing waivers and being sent outright to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs on April 27, 2026. Through that point in the season, his major league career totals stood at a .227 batting average, 30 home runs, and 96 runs batted in.
Driving Style and Strengths
Offensively, Kingery’s approach to the plate was shaped by his long-running work with private hitting coach Richard Schenck, who encouraged him to use an approach that runs counter to traditional instruction. Defensively, his primary position throughout college and the minor leagues was second base, but he has shown the versatility to play shortstop, third base, and all three outfield spots. His athleticism and switch-friendly skill set allow managers to deploy him at multiple positions in a given week, though the constant movement has at times affected both his offensive rhythm and his conditioning across a long season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Kingery’s signature moments are his 2006 appearance in the Little League World Series, his selection to the 2017 All-Star Futures Game, and a memorable series against the Cincinnati Reds in April 2018 in which he hit his first major league home run, his first grand slam, and his first career walkoff in consecutive games. He was also named the Pac-12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year in 2015, a Golden Spikes Award finalist, and the recipient of the Phillies’ Paul Owens Award in 2017.
Scott Kingery Career Wins
Scott Michael Kingery has compiled a professional résumé that includes a 2015 Pac-12 Player of the Year honor, a 2017 Paul Owens Award in the Phillies’ system, and a major league debut that produced both a home run and a walkoff in his first month. While he has yet to capture a major league All-Star selection or a championship, his versatility has been a defining feature of his professional record.
Major League Highlights
Kingery’s top major league moments are clustered around his Phillies years. He set a new standard for Phillies rookies by recording more than one hit in his 2018 debut, then hit his first major league home run, first grand slam, and first career walkoff across a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds in April 2018. In 2019, he set personal bests with a .258 batting average and 19 home runs, and in 2025 he added an Angels stint that included a contract selection in late May.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of the majors, Kingery earned midseason and postseason Florida State League All-Star honors in 2016 with the Clearwater Threshers, was selected to the 2017 All-Star Futures Game, and was a Cape Cod League All-Star in 2014. In Triple-A, he produced a 25-home-run, 25-stolen-base season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2024, a year that helped set the stage for his trade to the Angels.
Scott Kingery Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Scott Michael Kingery was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, by his parents Tom and Patti Kingery. His father worked as a corporate account manager for American Express, and his mother taught preschool for a private school in the Phoenix area. The family has deep roots in youth baseball, with both Scott and his identical twin brother, Sam, playing the sport from the age of five under their father’s coaching.
Personal Life
Kingery’s identical twin brother, Sam, played baseball alongside him through high school. Sam initially attended Northern Arizona University for his first year of college before transferring to the University of Arizona as a sophomore and trying out for the Wildcats baseball team as a walk-on, though he was not selected for the roster. The two brothers share a long history on the diamond, from Little League through their teenage years.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began with Kingery being designated for assignment by the Angels in March and sent outright to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, where he produced strong offensive numbers in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Those performances, even after accounting for an inflated batting average on balls in play, were enough to earn him a contract selection on May 28 as a replacement for the struggling Tim Anderson. In 14 major league appearances with the Angels, he went 4-for-25 with one stolen base and two walks, providing depth at multiple positions.
Kingery was designated for assignment on August 11, returned to the active roster on September 1, and was designated for assignment again on September 13 following the promotion of Denzer Guzmán. He elected free agency on September 29, 2025, opening the door to his December signing with the Chicago Cubs and a fresh opportunity heading into 2026.
