Otto Kemp won’t budge. He got hit by a pitch four times in a game against Triple-A Columbus on April 22, setting an IronPigs single-game record. “That’s not new for Otto,” Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly said last week. Kemp is the Phillies’ No. 24 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He has been hit 10 times this season, which is tied for fourth most among all Minor League players. He got hit 29 times over four levels in 2024, which ranked sixth in affiliated ball. No Phillies farmhand has been hit more times in a season since at least 2005. In comparison, Chase Utley holds the Phillies’ record with 27 hit-by-pitches in 2008. “Otto doesn’t move,” Mattingly said. “If you throw a ball in there and it’s off the plate, he’s not going to get out of the way. To me, it’s a valuable asset. I’ve had other guys throughout my career that have done that, and obviously it really boosts your on-base percentage. That’s kind of what everybody is searching for -- guys that can get on base. It’s kind of an art, I guess, getting hit by a pitch. He’s just really good at it.” |
Kemp, 25, is good at hitting baseballs, too. He entered Wednesday batting .322 with 10 home runs, 36 RBIs and a 1.057 OPS in 39 games with the IronPigs. He is tied for the International League lead in home runs. He is second in RBIs, third in slugging percentage (.632), fourth in OPS, eighth in batting average and ninth in on-base percentage (.425). He has caught the attention of Phillies fans. Kemp is not on the 40-man roster, so the Phils would need to make room for him if the time comes to promote him. Currently, his best path to the big leagues might be if somebody suffers an injury. Kemp is not regarded as a strong defender, but he can play third base, second base, first base and the corners in the outfield. But he can hit. “He’s a self-made guy,” Mattingly said. “He’s done nothing but get better every year in our organization. The industry missed on him. I don’t know why exactly. But I couldn’t be happier for somebody who works his butt off.” Kemp signed with the Phillies as an undrafted free agent out of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego in 2022. The Phils haven’t had an undrafted hitter signed as an amateur free agent debut with the organization since Jeff Grotewold in 1992, according to The Athletic. (This does not count foreign players signed as amateur free agents.) |
“Going undrafted,” Kemp told reporters last week in Lehigh Valley, “it was kind of just a stab to the heart, honestly. I didn’t really know what pro ball looked like after that. I didn’t have anybody that I really knew that went to pro ball, so I didn’t know what that road was going to look like. The beauty of it is [that] life can take you a lot of different ways that you don’t necessarily think or dream of. It’s been a cool process to see. “You look back three or four years ago, my name didn’t get called, and to see where we’re at, that’s the beauty of dreaming. If you do everything you can one day at a time, you’re going to be in a good position.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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The Phillies open a three-game series on Friday night against Pittsburgh. It was once a heated rivalry. Mike Schmidt charged the mound to fight which Pirates pitcher after getting drilled in the back on July 8, 1977? Schmidt dislocated a finger in the fight. A. John Candelaria B. Jerry Reuss C. Kent Tekulve D. Bruce Kison |
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• The Phillies issued a statement on Tuesday, following Major League Baseball’s decision to remove Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list: “The Phillies support today’s decision by Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball to remove Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list. As one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Pete made significant on-field contributions to the Phillies over his five seasons (1979-83) with the club, highlighted by our first World Series title in 1980.” • Schmidt also issued a statement: “It’s a great day for baseball as Commissioner Manfred has reinstated Pete Rose, making him eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The ongoing question of whether Pete Rose should or shouldn’t be in the Hall will be answered by a select panel in the next Classic Baseball Era Committee. Congratulations to Pete’s family, his teammates, as well as his supporters who have waited many years for this opportunity for consideration.” |
ON THIS DATE IN PHILLIES HISTORY |
The Phillies visit the White House to celebrate their 2008 World Series championship on May 15, 2009. |
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