Former Threshers Shine Bright at Futures Game

For both Scott Kingery and Rhys Hoskins, flying under the radar was something they were used to in their baseball careers.
Kingery did not have a single Division I scholarship offer coming out of high school, so he decided to walk on at the University of Arizona. He was eventually taken in the second round of the MLB Draft in 2015.
Hoskins never found himself on any prospect lists until the 2016 season, despite being drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round out of Sacramento State in 2014.
Now ranked by MLB.com as the 11th and 12th best prospects in the Phillies' organization, Kingery and Hoskins each received invitations to play in the 2017 MLB All-Star Futures Game in Miami.
"It kind of caught me off guard, it was just a normal day," Hoskins said. "We were out taking ground balls and Dusty (Wathan) our manager just dropped it on me and it took me back a little bit, but it's always good to be rewarded for the hard work you put in."
Hoskins has always fared well with a bat in his hands in his professional career. In 67 games as a Thresher in 2015, he hit .317 with eight home runs and 39 RBI's. In the last season and a half between Reading and Lehigh Valley, Hoskins has clubbed 58 homers and driven in 183 runs.
The diminutive but dynamic Kingery, who hit .293 in 94 games for Clearwater in 2016 and has 22 homers in 2017, said that making the trip with Hoskins was an added bonus.
"It's super exciting when you find out you're coming, especially in Miami," Kingery said about receiving an invite. "When Dusty (Wathan) told me, it was pretty awesome."
As the two former Threshers have climbed through the Philadelphia system, they became roommates, first in Reading and now again in Lehigh Valley. It's only fitting that they traveled together to Miami as well.
"At first I didn't know who I was going with," Kingery continued. "When they told me Rhys was going too, it was perfect."
On the surface, to play in the Futures Game and spend time with some of the game's best young players might be enough. But starting in the game is a different story.
While Kingery had to wait until the sixth inning to enter the game, Hoskins found himself starting at first base and batting cleanup for Charles Johnson's Team USA squad.
In three plate appearances, Hoskins reached base twice on a single and a hit-by-pitch. His out was impressive, too. On a lineout to left in his third at-bat, Hoskins recorded the highest bat speed in the game coming in at 76.6 mph.
"First and foremost it was really fun, really cool to be in a room and dugout full of this much talent, and I think we put on a pretty good show for the fans," Hoskins said. "It was an honor to be in the starting lineup."
Kingery went 0-for-1 in his only at-bat in Team USA's 7-6 win. However, statistics and results aren't the important things to take away from the experience of the Futures Game.
"Being in big league Spring Training after my first full professional season, and then being here, there's no way I thought this is where I would be," Kingery said. "I don't think I would change the route I took for anything, it molded me into the player I am today."
These two can no longer fly under the radar. Being part of All-Star weekend is just one more step towards something bigger and brighter for the two future Phillies.