Coming out of the pandemic pause in 2021, three players who were not on my radar appeared on the Double-A Phillies squad in Reading: Matthew Kroon, McCarthy Tatum and Madison Stokes. The three have been there ever since, battling injuries and playing multiple positions.
Today we look at Matt Kroon, who is having a really nice season and may be shoving his way towards a spot in Triple-A, if one becomes available. He has played in 48 games on the season, mostly at third base and in all three outfield positions. He’s hitting .306/.378/.441 with 3 home runs and 12 doubles. In 170 at-bats he has 37 strikeouts against 23 walks. He’s hitting the ball more in the air than ever. And, he has 11 stolen bases.
Matthew James Kroon was born 12/1996 in Scottsdale, Arizona and was drafted by the Phillies in the 18th round of the 2018 draft out of Oklahoma State University. He had transferred to Oklahoma State from Oregon by way of Central Arizona College. He had previously been drafted by the Cincinnati Reds and the Phillies prior to the 2018 draft. His college scouting report describes an advanced athlete with excellent defensive skills and power upside. His speed and arm strength also graded well. His father is pitcher Marc Kroon, who was a second-round pick by the Mets and had big league time with the Padres, Reds and Rockies.
So what is a Matt Kroon? Should he be in the Phillies plans for a bench position? He doesn’t have the loud tools to get folks talking, but he could follow a path similar to what got Dalton Guthrie and Drew Ellis to the Phillies: Good fielding a multiple positions, bat on the ball and run the bases. All he needs his the opportunity to get to Triple-A, perform there until there’s a need with the big club. Or, he could get an opportunity via the Rule 5 Draft next season if another team sees a quality utility player they could use on their MLB team.
In any case, he’s been fun to watch this season after missing almost all of last season due to injury. Even though some of the numbers look similar to 2021 in Reading, where he played half the season, he seems to have taken a step forward and I look forward to watching him play and progress while staying healthy.
See you at the park,
@Kram207
Feature Image by Steve Kiebach