Otto Kemp is forcing the Phillies to finally pay attention

Otto Kemp isn’t just knocking on the door — he’s practically kicking it off the hinges.

The 25-year-old utility man launched his 10th homer of the season for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday and entered the day hitting .339 with 33 RBIs and a 1.118 OPS.

At this point, the Phillies front office would need to be comatose not to notice what Kemp is doing for the IronPigs. Thankfully, they’re not.

Once Again, I’m Calling for Otto Kemp on the Phillies Roster

Otto Kemp is absolutely pounding Rochester. His first inning solo homer makes him 10 for 20 in the series with 13 RBIs.

He’s now 17 for 37 against lefties this year with an OPS over 1.400 pic.twitter.com/c2IVXWgVhN

— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert) May 4, 2025

It’s Time: The Phillies Need to Call Up Otto Kemp

“He’s had a great start to the year,” said Rob Thomson, who raved about Kemp’s on-base skills, slug, and “solid” defense before Friday’s game. GM Preston Mattingly doubled down, calling Kemp a “self-made player” who’s improved every year and “a really good baseball player.” Pretty high praise from the guy who oversaw player development before stepping into the GM chair.

Otto Kemp’s path to this point reads like a baseball version of The Revenant. He battled injuries in high school, got overlooked by big schools, landed at Division II Point Loma Nazarene, then dealt with a blood clot, a torn labrum, and the pandemic in college. In 2022, he hit .364 with 17 bombs and 62 RBIs, went undrafted — and signed with the Phillies anyway.

Otto Kemp’s long road to Lehigh Valley will end in South Philly sooner than you think

Since then? He’s torched every level of the minors. Kemp played at four levels in 2023, hitting .294 with 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, 20 steals, and an .881 OPS. Now, just a few weeks into 2025, he’s making Triple-A look like a joke.

Otto Kemp is unstoppable in Lehigh Valley

OTTO KEMP CYCLE WATCH:

1st Inning: Home Run
2nd Inning: Strikeout
4th Inning (1): Triple
4th Inning (2): Singlepic.twitter.com/0WbcwuimuH

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) May 4, 2025

He’s a righty with power — something the Phillies desperately need off the bench — and offers versatility across the diamond. He’s played second, third, and first base this season, and even logged a couple games in left field. Thomson said he’s “pretty solid everywhere,” though both he and Mattingly agree third base is Kemp’s best spot.

Third base isn’t exactly open. Alec Bohm is still the starter, despite his brutal -0.4 WAR, and the Phillies seem intent on letting him figure it out. Weston Wilson is around, but hasn’t exactly seized the moment either.

Otto Kemp Named International League Player of the Week >>

The outfield might be Kemp’s clearest path to playing time, even if his defense out there is still a work in progress. “Average,” is how Thomson described it, but didn’t rule out giving him a shot.

There’s no guarantee Otto Kemp gets the call soon — but there’s also no denying the Phillies are watching closely. When you’re mashing the baseball like he is and flashing positional versatility, eventually a team has to stop watching and act.

And with Otto Kemp, that clock might already be ticking.

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