Kody Clemens is raking in Minnesota, but this isn’t a Phillies Tragedy

Kody Clemens has been nothing short of excellent since landing with the Twins.

He’s hitting .318 with a .682 slugging percentage, and he’s already launched 3 homers with 10 RBI across his first 44 at-bats.

The bat’s hot, the Twins are happy, and social media is doing what social media does — turning his breakout into a referendum on the Phillies’ front office.

Kody Clemens Walk-Off

Kody Clemens walks it off for the @Twins! pic.twitter.com/yxgbvNGZ8Z
— MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2025

Here’s the problem with that narrative…it’s not a tragedy that Kody Clemens isn’t in Philly anymore. It’s just how this roster is built.

There was never a clear path for Clemens here. The Phillies’ infield is stacked. You’ve got Alec Bohm playing at an All-Star level, Bryson Stott and Edmundo Sosa sharing time at second, and Bryce Harper and Trea Turner locked into the corners.

There’s nowhere for Clemens to get reps. He doesn’t play outfield on a consistent basis. So he became expendable. That’s it. That’s the reality.

It’s not just Kody Clemens that dealt was force to deal with this issue.

Look at Otto Kemp. The guy is torching Triple-A pitching. Through 177 at-bats for the IronPigs, Kemp is slashing .328/.420/.630 with 11 homers, 40 RBI, 9 steals, and a 1.050 OPS. He leads nearly every offensive category among Lehigh Valley regulars and looks like he could help a big-league team right now.

But he’s not on the 40-man roster. He’s primarily an infielder. He’s played some outfield but not enough to force his way into a Phillies roster loaded with proven veterans and a bench that doesn’t have the space. Sound familiar?

This is the same conversation as Clemens. Kemp deserves a shot — no one is arguing otherwise — but unless the Phillies start moving pieces or someone goes down with an injury, the runway just doesn’t exist. The Phillies don’t operate like a rebuilding team. They’re built around stars, and the bench is expected to be flexible, not developmental.

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And let’s not act like the big league bats aren’t delivering. Here’s what the core of this Phillies lineup has done in the month of May:

Trea Turner: .341/.356/.506 (.862 OPS)
Bryce Harper: .338/.400/.541 (.941 OPS)
Kyle Schwarber: .264/.376/.625 (1.001 OPS)
Alec Bohm: .333/.384/.500 (.884 OPS)
J.T. Realmuto: .246/.328/.474 (.802 OPS)
Nick Castellanos: .308/.317/.397 (.715 OPS)

So yeah — Kody Clemens is thriving. Otto Kemp looks ready. That’s great but not every success story needs to come with guilt. This is what happens when you build a veteran-loaded contender. Some young guys get squeezed. It’s not personal, it’s just baseball.