Scott Kingery Bio
Scott Michael Kingery, born on April 29, 1994, in Phoenix, Arizona, 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. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round, 48th overall, of the 2015 MLB draft, and he debuted with the club in 2018 after working his way through the minor leagues. Standing only 5 feet 7 inches tall, Kingery has built his career on plate discipline, positional versatility, and a contact-oriented approach at the plate.
Known primarily as a middle infielder early in his career, Kingery has spent time at second base, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield spots during his time in professional baseball. His journey from a Little League World Series participant in 2006 to a multi-position MLB player reflects his adaptability and the unconventional path he has taken to the majors.
Scott Kingery Early Life and Background
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 for a private school in the Phoenix area. Kingery grew up alongside his identical twin brother, Sam Kingery, and the two began playing baseball together at the age of five, with their father serving as their coach through their early teenage years.
In 2006, the Kingery family’s Ahwatukee Foothills Little League team 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. Always small for his age, Scott Kingery cited Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia as his childhood role model, modeling his game after Pedroia’s style as a similarly undersized middle infielder.
Kingery attended Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee, Phoenix, where he starred on the baseball team despite being overlooked by many college recruiters due to his short frame. As a junior in 2011, he batted .495 with 10 home runs and 39 runs batted in (RBIs), and as a senior, he hit .485 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs. His high school coach praised his instincts, noting that Kingery had a way of making plays that separated him from everyone else on the field.
Path to Baseball
Despite his strong high school offensive numbers, college baseball coaches overlooked Kingery because of his 5-foot-7 stature. He initially committed to play at Central Arizona College but sent emails to several NCAA Division I programs in the hope of finding another opportunity. The University of Arizona ultimately offered him a chance to join the Arizona Wildcats baseball team as a preferred walk-on.
Because the Wildcats had multiple shortstops when Kingery arrived on campus, he was assigned to center field for his first two college seasons. As a freshman in 2012, he batted .261 in 30 starts, and as a sophomore, he raised his average to .354 with 26 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, earning All-Pac-12 Conference honors. The summer after his sophomore year, Kingery played for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, batting .312 in 33 games and appearing in the Cape Cod All-Star Game.
As a junior in 2015, Kingery moved from the outfield to second base and had a breakout season. He led the Pac-12 Conference with a .392 batting average, 53 runs scored, 93 hits, and 133 total bases, while also recording 15 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 36 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 54 games. Kingery 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 top amateur baseball player in the United States.
Scott Kingery Career
Early Career (2015-2017)
The Philadelphia Phillies selected Kingery in the second round, 48th overall, of the 2015 MLB Draft, and he signed with the club on June 16, 2015, for a $1,259,600 signing bonus. His middle infield partner Kevin Newman had been taken 17th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kingery began his professional career as the starting second baseman for the Single-A Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League, batting .250 with three home runs and 21 RBIs.
In 2016, Kingery moved up to the High-A Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League, where he served as the team’s second baseman and leadoff hitter. He batted .293 with 29 doubles and 26 stolen bases in 94 games and earned midseason and postseason Florida State League All-Star honors before a late-season promotion to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils. After the season, he played for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League. Kingery opened the 2017 season at Reading, where he led all of minor league baseball with 16 home runs in his first 45 games, before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He was selected for the 2017 All-Star Futures Game, and Baseball America named him to their Minor League All-Star Second Team while the Phillies awarded him the Paul Owens Award as the top position player in their farm system.
Philadelphia Phillies Era (2018-2022)
On March 25, 2018, the Phillies signed Kingery to a six-year, $24 million contract extension and added him to their opening day roster. He debuted at third base against the Atlanta Braves and collected two hits, becoming the first Phillies rookie with multiple hits in a debut since Domonic Brown in 2010. During an early-season series against the Cincinnati Reds, he hit his first major league home run on April 9, blasted a grand slam on April 10, and delivered his first career walkoff with a sacrifice fly on April 11.
Kingery played 119 games at shortstop, 10 at third base, four at second base, and seven in the outfield as a rookie, finishing the season with a .226 average, eight home runs, and 38 RBIs. After the season, he trained with private hitting coach Richard Schenck and offseason workout partner Aaron Judge, and his 2019 results improved to a .258 batting average with 19 home runs. Injuries to Andrew McCutchen and Odúbel Herrera moved Kingery to center field for much of the year.
The 2020 MLB season proved difficult for Kingery after he contracted COVID-19 during spring training and dealt with lingering back and shoulder pain throughout the summer. He played in only 36 games and batted .159. After struggling in 2021 spring training, Kingery was optioned to Lehigh Valley and designated for assignment on June 7, 2021. He underwent shoulder surgery for a glenoid labrum injury on July 18 and missed the remainder of the season. Kingery returned to the major league roster briefly in 2022 before being outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he spent the full 2023 season batting .244 with 13 home runs. On November 3, 2023, the Phillies declined his contract option for 2024, but he remained in the organization.
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 he was added to the Angels’ 40-man roster three days later. On March 17, 2025, Kingery was designated for assignment following the acquisition of Ángel Perdomo. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.
With the Bees, Kingery posted a .373 batting average in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, though that mark was inflated by a high batting average on balls in play. On May 28, 2025, the Angels selected his contract, adding him to their active roster as a replacement for the struggling Tim Anderson. In 14 appearances for Los Angeles, he went 4-for-25 with one stolen base and two walks before being designated for assignment again on August 11. He was re-added to the roster on September 1 and then designated for assignment a final time on September 13, electing free agency on September 29.
Chicago Cubs Era (2025-Present)
On December 2, 2025, Kingery signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs, joining the organization as he continues his professional career. The signing provides Kingery an opportunity to compete for a depth role within the Cubs’ system and continue his development as a versatile utility player.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kingery’s plate approach originated from his work with hitting coach Richard Schenck in 2017, who teaches hitting principles that run counter to conventional instruction. He has continued to refine his stance and swinging extension throughout his major league career in response to inconsistent production. Defensively, Kingery has emerged as a true utility player, capable of playing second base, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions, though the constant positional shuffling has reportedly caused him to lose roughly 10 pounds over the course of a typical season.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the signature moments of Kingery’s career came in April 2018, when he hit his first major league home run, a grand slam, and a walkoff sacrifice fly over a three-game stretch against the Cincinnati Reds. He was also a member of the 2006 Little League World Series team from Ahwatukee Foothills and was selected to the 2017 All-Star Futures Game during his rise through the Phillies’ farm system. Kingery was the first Arizona Wildcat to be named Pac-12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year since Alex Mejia in 2012.
Scott Kingery Career Wins
Scott Kingery has built a professional resume that stretches from a 2006 Little League World Series appearance to multiple MLB organizations, with most of his statistical highlights coming during his minor league development. His professional career has included All-Star selections in the Florida State League, a Paul Owens Award from the Phillies, and a Pac-12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year award at the University of Arizona.
Minor League Highlights
During his time in the Phillies’ farm system, Kingery earned midseason and postseason Florida State League All-Star honors with High-A Clearwater in 2016 and was selected for the 2017 All-Star Futures Game after a strong start at Double-A Reading. He was named to Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star Second Team in 2017 and received the Paul Owens Award as the top position player in the Phillies’ organization that same year.
Other Performances
Kingery earned All-Pac-12 Conference honors as a sophomore at the University of Arizona and was named the Pac-12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year as a junior in 2015. He was also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award that season, recognizing him as one of the top amateur players in the country.
Scott Kingery Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Scott Kingery grew up in a baseball family in Phoenix, Arizona, where his father Tom coached both Scott and his identical twin brother Sam from the time they were five years old through 2006. That year, the family traveled to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, after the Ahwatukee Foothills Little League team won the West Region. Scott played shortstop while Sam played second base during that run.
Personal Life
Kingery’s identical twin brother Sam also played baseball through high school and chose to attend Northern Arizona University for his first year of college before transferring to the University of Arizona. Sam tried out for the Arizona Wildcats baseball team as a walk-on but was not selected for the roster.
2025 Season Performance
Scott Kingery’s 2025 season was split between the Los Angeles Angels organization and his eventual move to the Chicago Cubs. He began the year at Triple-A Salt Lake after being designated for assignment by the Angels in March, then had his contract selected on May 28 when the Angels needed a replacement for the struggling Tim Anderson. His big league time with Los Angeles was brief, as he went 4-for-25 in 14 appearances before being designated for assignment again in August and September.
At Triple-A Salt Lake, Kingery put together one of the strongest offensive stretches of his professional career, batting .373/.418/.578 across the Pacific Coast League, though those numbers were notably inflated by the league’s hitter-friendly conditions and an unusually high .433 batting average on balls in play. Even so, the production was enough to earn him another look in the majors during the summer months.
Following his release from the Angels in late September, Kingery signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs on December 2, 2025, positioning himself to compete for a depth role in the Cubs’ system heading into the next season. The signing gives Kingery a fresh opportunity to continue his career as a versatile utility player with experience across the diamond.