'We Get After It'
Buddy Kennedy has long enjoyed a friendship with Los Angeles Angels’ three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star Mike Trout, the two Millville High graduates in the Major Leagues.
Kennedy returned to the big leagues, having been recalled by the Phillies last week from their Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs club.
One of the reasons the 26-year-old Kennedy has reached this point is the work he puts in on the offseason.
His training partner?
None other than Trout, who has an indoor facility at his home outside of Millville.
The two have been training well before Kennedy, a 2017 Millville graduate, turned pro after being selected in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I’ve been training with him since I was 14,” Kennedy said before a recent Phillies game.
They used to train at a gym that went out of business, and now they go to Trout’s home.
“I have been training at his house at 5:30 in the morning and we get after it,” Kennedy said.
Many times, it is just the two of them, working out against a pitching machine, which Kennedy describes as ‘state of the art.’
“We got the pitching machine, put it together, and then started hitting fastballs, curveballs and everything else,” Kennedy said.
Most of the time it was just Kennedy and Trout training, although once in a while, another player or two would join the workout.
“Not many people want to get up at 5:30 in the morning,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said they began working out this past offseason on Nov. 10 and continued until the beginning of February when they had to leave for spring training.
Kennedy didn’t make the Phillies roster out of spring training this year. After clearing waivers, he re-signed with the Phillies and went to Triple-A
At Lehigh Valley he appeared in 61 games and had a .283/.388/448 slash with eight home runs and a 126 WRC+.
That earned him his second trip to Philadelphia. Last year the Phillies acquired him from the Detroit Tigers, who he played six games for in 2024. With the Phillies, he appeared in eight games, spending most of the season at Lehigh Valley, where he hit .294/.400/.500 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 300 plate appearances.
Before being recalled last week, Kennedy had 128 career at-bats in parts of three MLB seasons with Arizona, Detroit and the Phillies.
He has been mainly a second and third baseman, but played 33 games at first base for Lehigh Valley this season.
“I honestly feel good (at first base),” he said. “First couple of games were kind of a little like a roller coaster, but it’s the same angles as third, but now obviously you’ve got to catch the ball.”
Most of all, he is thrilled to be taking residence at Citizens Bank Park.
“It feels good to be back,” he said. “It kind of felt like I never left.”
Kennedy has bounced around during his pro career and regardless of whether he is in the minors or the big show, he continues to benefit from those early-morning off-season workouts with his superstar fellow Thunderbolt friend.
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Author: Marc Narducci
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