Matt Kemp
Matthew Ryan Kemp is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He began his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played in Major League Baseball with the Dodgers from 2006 until 2014, the San Diego Padres in 2015 and 2016 and the Atlanta Braves in 2016 and 2017 before returning to the Dodgers for the 2018 season, and briefly playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019 and Colorado Rockies in 2020. He was named to three All-Star teams and won two Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards.
The Dodgers selected Kemp in the sixth round of the 2003 MLB draft. After four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut in 2006. He did not become a full-time player until 2008, when he took over as the starting center fielder for the Dodgers. In 2011, Kemp led the National League in runs scored, total bases, OPS+, WAR, home runs, and runs batted in. Additionally, he became the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since Hank Aaron in 1963.
Early life
Kemp was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma, the son of Carl Kemp and Judy Henderson, who never married. He was raised in Oklahoma by his mother, a registered nurse, and grandmother. When he was 13, his mother had another son, Tyler, who was born prematurely and died at age one.Kemp attended Midwest City High School, where he was a standout in basketball and baseball. He was teammates with Shelden Williams on the varsity basketball team that won the state title two years in a row, and the team was ranked third in the nation at one point. Kemp himself was an All-City selection, and averaged 20 points a game. Kemp received a scholarship offer to play college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Kemp in the sixth round of the 2003 MLB draft. He signed with the team on June 5, 2003, for a $130,000 signing bonus.Kemp started his professional career for the Gulf Coast Dodgers in 2003 and followed that up with stints with the Columbus Catfish in 2004 and the Vero Beach Dodgers in 2004–05. At Columbus and Vero Beach, Kemp improved his power numbers. After hitting just a single home run in 43 games, Kemp became more of a power hitter. In 2004 with Columbus, he belted 18 home runs to go along with 27 doubles in 122 games, and in 2005, he belted 27 home runs to go along with 21 doubles in 109 games. He was selected to the Florida State League All-Star team in 2005, and set Vero Beach franchise records for home runs and slugging percentage.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2006–2014)
2006: rookie year
Kemp began 2006 with the AA Jacksonville Suns, where he hit.327 with seven homers, 34 runs batted in and 11 steals, prompting a promotion to the major league squad. His promotion was spurred by an effort to provide regular rest for aging center fielder Kenny Lofton and the often injured right field All-Star J. D. Drew.Kemp made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 28, 2006, against the Washington Nationals. He got his first career major league hit that same game, a single off Jon Rauch. He hit his first Major League homer on June 1 in his second Dodger Stadium at-bat off the Philadelphia Phillies' Gavin Floyd. Kemp homered in three straight games from June 1–3 against the Phillies and homered twice on June 11 off Colorado Rockies starter Aaron Cook. He also became the first Dodger and fifth major league player to hit four homers in his first 10 days with the team.
After his fast start, Kemp slumped and hit only.234 with no homers from June 14 through July 13, when he was reassigned to the AAA Las Vegas 51s. He returned to the team when rosters expanded on September 1. In his second stint in the Majors, Kemp struggled. He batted just.156 with a.182 on-base percentage and a.250 slugging percentage in September and October combined. By season's end, Kemp showed some power, with seven home runs and speed, with six stolen bases but he struggled with his batting average and getting on base. He batted just.253 and posted an on-base percentage of.289.
2007
Kemp started the 2007 season on the major league roster but lost his place after suffering a shoulder injury while running into the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium. Upon his return from the injury, he was optioned back to Las Vegas. Returning to Triple-A and playing for the Las Vegas 51s, Kemp played well in his short stint. In just 39 games, he had a.329 batting average,.374 on-base percentage, and a.540 slugging percentage. He hit four home runs, drove in 20 runs, and stole nine bases out of 11 attempts. He was recalled to the Dodgers on June 8. He enjoyed an outstanding sophomore campaign with the bat batting.342, clubbing 10 home runs, and driving in 42 runs.2008
Kemp became the starting right fielder in 2008. He hit his first career grand slam, off Mark Redman, on April 26 against the Colorado Rockies. Kemp drove in the first run of the game for the Dodgers, a sacrifice fly in the first inning that scored Juan Pierre.After driving in 11 runs and stealing six bases. He was named "National League Player of the Week" for the week of April 28 – May 4.
After a knee injury to Andruw Jones, Kemp became the Dodgers' regular center fielder, moving over from right field. His best month of the season was in July, in which he had a.324 batting average,.402 on-base percentage,.537 slugging percentage to go along with five home runs, 14 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. That month also sparked Kemp's career high 19-game hitting streak, which lasted from July 9 through August 1, ending with a hitless performance on August 2. However, Kemp got back on track the next night by having a three-hit game to go along with a home run. He finished the season with a.290 average, 18 homers and 76 RBI. Kemp was also second on the team in stolen bases with 35. In addition, he set a Dodgers record with 153 strikeouts in a season. In his first career postseason game, Kemp went 1 for 4 with a double. However, he batted just.154 in the 2008 National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs. Both of his hits went for doubles. In the 2008 National League Championship Series, against the Philadelphia Phillies, Kemp did better, batting.333 as the Dodgers lost the series to the eventual World Series champions.
2009
Kemp had his first career walk-off hit on June 16 against the Oakland A's. On September 24, he became the first player in Dodger history to hit at least.295, with 25 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 30 steals in one season. He finished the year with.297, 26 home runs, 101 RBI, and 34 steals. His 10 RBIs in extra innings were the most that a player has driven in extra innings since 1991 and he became the first player to reach double-digits in this category since 1982.Kemp hit his first career post-season home run on October 7 in his first at-bat of the 2009 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals. After the season, Kemp was selected as a recipient of both the Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award. He also tied a Dodger record with three grand slams in one season.
2010
Kemp began the 2010 season in excellent fashion, hitting seven home runs in the month of April, including four in four days from April 13–16. On June 1, Kemp hit his first career walk-off home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks off of relief pitcher J. C. Gutiérrez, giving the Dodgers the only run of the game. Kemp described his first career walk-off home run as "a great feeling". However, he slumped badly in the second half of the season and finished with a.249 batting average, 28 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 19 steals while playing in all 162 games for the first time in his career. He also broke his own single-season Dodger record for strikeouts, with 170.Kemp was the subject of some criticism in 2010 from General Manager Ned Colletti, who called him out publicly early in the season for poor baserunning. Kemp had several embarrassing gaffes on the base paths during the season, and was caught stealing 15 times. With runners in scoring position, he hit seven home runs and drove in 61 runs in 160 at bats. However, he struck out 49 times and batted just.225 in that spot. Against right-handed pitching, he batted just.233 with a.299 on-base percentage, to go along with 22 home runs and 69 RBIs, as opposed to a.295 average against left-handed pitchers.
Kemp hit home runs in five straight games to end the season, the first major league player to accomplish that feat and the first Dodger since Shawn Green in the 2001 season to hit homers in five consecutive games. The only other Dodgers to homer in five consecutive games are Roy Campanella, Adrián González, Joc Pederson, Max Muncy, and Shohei Ohtani.
2011
After his much publicized problems on the base paths the previous season, Kemp arrived at spring training early to work with new Dodger coach Davey Lopes on his base running. Kemp announced his intention to steal 40 bases this season and Lopes hoped they would be high percentage steals. At the end of the season, Kemp had the 40 steals and was only caught 11 times, a significant improvement in percentage from the previous year, and his work with Lopes was credited for much of the improvement.On April 17, Kemp hit his second career walk-off home run, doing it in the ninth inning off of St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin, on a 2–2 count that gave the Dodgers a 2–1 victory." In a game against the Atlanta Braves five days later, Kemp hit his second walk-off home run of the season, this time in the 12th inning, off Braves pitcher Cristhian Martínez.
After being one of the league leaders in home runs, stolen bases, RBIs, and batting average during the first half of the season, Kemp was voted as a starter for the National League squad in the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Arizona. He also accepted an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game.
The day before the All-Star Game, Giants' manager and 2011 NL All-Star Manager, Bruce Bochy, announced his decision to bat Kemp third in the line up. Explaining his decision, Bochy said about Kemp, "He's a guy with speed, power, a guy that can beat you with a base hit or a long ball. He's what you call a complete player – tremendous defender, but more so in the 3-hole, he can do so many things for you. He's so dangerous." Kemp, with a single and a walk, became the first Dodger to reach base twice in an All-Star Game since Mike Piazza in 1996.
Kemp hit his 30th home run of the season on August 26, and in the process became the second Dodger player of all time to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 30 bases in the same season. The only other one was Raúl Mondesí in the 1997 and 1999 seasons. He picked up his 40th stolen base on September 17, becoming the 18th Major Leaguer and first Dodger in history to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 40 bases. Kemp also scored his 100th run of the season, making him just the 10th L.A. Dodger to score 100 runs and have 100 RBIs in a season, and the first since Jeff Kent in 2005. He hit his 35th home run on September 21, making him the 14th Major Leaguer to hit at least 35 home runs and steal at least 35 bases in a season.
On September 20, the Dodgers announced Kemp was selected by his teammates as the recipient of the 2011 Roy Campanella Award, which is given annually to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Roy Campanella. He also won the NL Player of the Week Award for the week of September 19–25, 2011 after he hit.423 with nine runs scored and three home runs during that week.
Kemp wound up hitting 39 home runs in 2011 with 126 RBIs, leading the league in both categories, the first Dodger to do so since Dolph Camilli in the 1941 season. He also led the league in runs scored, total bases, OPS+, and WAR. He finished second in slugging percentage, OPS, extra base hits, and stolen bases, and third in batting average and outfield assists. He also led the National League in power-speed number. Kemp also extended his games played streak to 364 games, as he played in every game of the season. He was the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since Hank Aaron in the 1963 season.
After struggling to hit with runners in scoring position the previous year, Kemp bounced back and hit well with runners in scoring position. In 155 at-bats with runners in scoring position, he hit.335 with 13 home runs and 87 RBIs. And against right-handers, he batted.319 with 28 home runs and 94 RBIs.
Kemp was selected for a number of post-season awards, including the Baseball America Major League Player of the Year, the Hank Aaron Award for the top hitter in the National League the Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award. On October 27, he was named to the 2011 Sporting News National League All-Star team.
On November 22, Kemp came in second to Ryan Braun in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Later, it was revealed that Braun had tested positive for elevated testosterone and MLB attempted to suspend him, but lost on appeal. A survey of baseball writers revealed that if the MVP vote was retaken, with knowledge of Braun's positive test, then Kemp would have won. Braun was eventually suspended as part of the Biogenesis scandal. Kemp publicly stated that he believed Braun should be stripped of his MVP Award from that season.
After the season, Kemp signed a franchise record eight-year, $160 million contract extension. After signing his extension, he predicted that he would become the first player in history to have a 50–50 season.