Back in minors, Otto Kemp working to return to Phillies at big-league speed
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As Otto Kemp spent 10 weeks in the big leagues, he achieved the improbable. A former undrafted free agent who signed with the Phillies out of Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in 2022, the 25-year-old became a contributor in the majors this summer as Philadelphia dealt with injuries to Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm.
But once the regulars came back, Kemp was sent back down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Aug. 17, knowing that adjustments will be necessary before his next major-league opportunity.
“I think the game speeds up a little bit up there,” Kemp said last week, “just a tick.”
Kemp put himself on the radar by hitting 14 home runs with a 1.010 OPS in his first 58 minor-league games of the season. Once he got called up, the power did not translate. The Phillies seemed to be pleased with his approach, but the results didn’t follow. The right-handed batter hit .228 with a .657 OPS in 46 games with only four homers.
With the production dipping, Kemp found himself pressing for more pop. That only worked against him as he went after pitches he couldn’t damage. He also struggled on defense. Without a set position, Kemp actually performed well at first base and left field in his opportunities in those spots. But he made five errors in 46 chances at third base, a position he had more experience playing. The big-league quickness caught up to him at times.
“I definitely had moments where the game sped up on me,” Kemp said. “I was just not really happy with the way I played third base. But at the same time, I need all that stuff to happen in order to make a change and to realize that I need to do something different and start digging on that a little bit more. So I’m grateful for the failure up there, but at the same time just kind of using it as a teacher.”
Back at Lehigh Valley, manager Anthony Contreras understands why Kemp felt some pressure or like he was a step behind at times. He’s confident that Kemp can improve for the next go-around.
“I think going up to the big leagues and feeling that he has to be a certain person or, obviously, be able to keep up with the superstars that are on that team,” Contreras said of what might’ve caused some issues for Kemp. “It’s going to take a little bit of feeling like you’re accepted, feeling like you’re part of the boys. But just talking to him now, it’s like he sees the big leagues as it’s another baseball game with better talent, and he’s just doing his part to try to get better every single day.”
Since rejoining the IronPigs, Kemp is batting .387 with a 1.003 OPS in six games. He hasn’t homered, but he’s hit four doubles. He had a walk-off hit last Thursday, and he’s continued to move around the diamond on defense. It’s not quite the big leagues, but he’s hopeful it can help him get ready.
“In a sense, there’s no way to replicate it other than being there and learning through those environments and all the noise up there and kind of how heightened everything is,” Kemp said. “But at the same time, there’s some basics that I can really continue to hone in on here, and that’s my goal.”
Kemp said the Phillies encouraged him to stay on the path he’s on when he was demoted earlier this month. The club has been pleased with his development and believes he can provide some value at the big-league level. He may have another chance when rosters expand in September, but that remains to be seen. Kemp is working to make sure he’ll be up to speed when he gets the call once again.
“They think that I can help this team win,” Kemp said. “We’ll see if it’s the rest of this year, and definitely next year going forward. That was kind of the message: just keep going and keep making adjustments. Keep doing what you do and you’ll be back.”