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Matt Kemp LFRockies

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 34)

PA	AVG	HR	R	RBI	SB	DRC+	WARP
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Birth Date	9-23-1984
Height	6' 4"
Weight	225 lbs

Age	39 years, 7 months, 3 days
Bats	R
Throws	R

: 2.32015
: 1.72016
: -0.62017
: 1.62018
: 0.42019
proj

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

YEAR	TEAM	AGE	G	PA	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	DRAA	BRR	FRAA	BWARP
2006	LAN	21	52	166	39	7	1	7	9	53	0	6	0	.253	.289	.448	75	-4.7	1.1	-4.2	-0.3
2007	LAN	22	98	311	100	12	5	10	16	66	0	10	5	.342	.373	.521	110	5.4	3.3	-3.3	1.1
2008	LAN	23	155	657	176	38	5	18	46	153	1	35	11	.290	.340	.459	106	6.3	1.1	5.5	3.0
2009	LAN	24	159	667	180	25	7	26	52	139	3	34	8	.297	.352	.490	123	20.3	3.7	10.6	5.6
2010	LAN	25	162	668	150	25	6	28	53	170	4	19	15	.249	.310	.450	104	4.0	-1.8	-14.8	0.8
2011	LAN	26	161	689	195	33	4	39	74	159	6	40	11	.324	.399	.586	162	49.7	4.6	-0.3	7.9
2012	LAN	27	106	449	122	22	2	23	40	103	3	9	4	.303	.367	.538	135	18.2	0.9	-5.8	2.8
2013	LAN	28	73	290	71	15	0	6	22	76	2	9	0	.270	.328	.395	87	-3.7	3.6	-3.8	0.5
2014	LAN	29	150	599	155	38	3	25	52	145	0	8	5	.287	.346	.506	126	17.0	-0.8	-4.1	2.7
2015	SDN	30	154	648	158	31	3	23	39	147	5	12	2	.265	.312	.443	103	4.3	1.8	4.6	2.3
2016	ATL	31	56	241	60	15	0	12	20	56	1	1	0	.280	.336	.519	112	4.0	1.5	0.0	1.1
2016	SDN	31	100	431	107	24	0	23	16	100	0	0	0	.262	.285	.489	107	4.3	-0.4	-5.3	0.6
2017	ATL	32	115	467	121	23	1	19	27	99	0	0	2	.276	.318	.463	101	1.8	-3.4	-14.6	-0.6
2018	LAN	33	146	506	134	25	0	21	36	115	1	0	0	.290	.338	.481	116	11.0	-2.1	-3.8	1.6
2019	CIN	34	20	62	12	2	0	1	1	19	0	0	0	.200	.210	.283	73	-1.9	0.0	-1.6	-0.2
Career			1707	6851	1780	335	37	281	503	1600	26	183	63	.285	.337	.485	115	136.0	13.2	-40.7	28.9

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	PA	oppAVG	oppOBP	oppSLG	BABIP	BPF	BRAA	repLVL	POS_ADJ	DRC+	DRC+ SD	FRAA	BRR	DRAA	BWARP
2004	CGA	A	SAL	112	458	.000	.000	.000	.342			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2004	VRO	A+	FSL	11	42	.000	.000	.000	.500			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2005	VRO	A+	FSL	109	454	.279	.331	.425	.337	105	-2.2	0.6	0	106	0	-0.4	0.6	3.4	0.4
2006	LAN	MLB	NL	52	166	.266	.330	.426	.330	95	1.4	5.0	-0.4	75	13	-4.2	1.1	-4.7	-0.3
2006	JAX	AA	SOU	48	224	.261	.340	.388	.377	98	8.5	4.8	0.2	180	0	2.5	-1.1	4.3	1.1
2006	LVG	AAA	PCL	44	202	.278	.349	.429	.416	103	14.9	5.5	0.1	140	0	-1.7	0.5	9.8	1.4
2007	LAN	MLB	NL	98	311	.262	.329	.414	.411	100	15	9.2	-3.2	110	9	-3.3	3.3	5.4	1.1
2007	LVG	AAA	PCL	39	174	.278	.345	.437	.374	109	6.8	5.2	-0.8	120	0	7.1	2.0	4.9	1.8
2008	LAN	MLB	NL	155	657	.266	.332	.422	.361	94	14.2	19.0	-1.5	106	5	5.5	1.1	6.3	3.0
2009	LAN	MLB	NL	159	667	.261	.328	.412	.345	90	33.8	19.2	1.4	123	7	10.6	3.7	20.3	5.6
2010	LAN	MLB	NL	162	668	.256	.323	.401	.295	88	19.2	18.4	1.7	104	8	-14.8	-1.8	4.0	0.8
2011	LAN	MLB	NL	161	689	.254	.316	.394	.380	92	66	18.6	1.5	162	9	-0.3	4.6	49.7	7.9
2012	LAN	MLB	NL	106	449	.256	.318	.403	.354	93	28.4	12.3	1.1	135	7	-5.8	0.9	18.2	2.8
2012	RCU	A+	CAL	4	16	.295	.351	.471	.600	101	1.1	0.1	-0.1	126	0	-0.7	0.0	0.5	0.0
2012	ABQ	AAA	PCL	4	16	.288	.350	.449	.500	138	2.6	0.5	-0.2	157	0	-0.3	-0.2	1.1	0.1
2013	LAN	MLB	NL	73	290	.262	.321	.412	.353	98	-2	7.6	0.7	87	8	-3.8	3.6	-3.7	0.5
2013	RCU	A+	CAL	5	19	.277	.340	.441	.000	90	-5.9	0.6	-0.3	-28	0	0.8	-0.2	-2.8	-0.2
2013	ABQ	AAA	PCL	3	12	.269	.348	.393	.400	125	-0.2	0.3	-0.1	38	0	0.0	0.2	-0.9	-0.1
2014	LAN	MLB	NL	150	599	.252	.312	.389	.345	98	24.1	15.4	-3.3	126	7	-4.1	-0.8	17.0	2.7
2015	SDN	MLB	NL	154	648	.256	.315	.411	.311	94	11.2	17.5	-6.6	103	7	4.6	1.8	4.3	2.3
2016	ATL	MLB	NL	56	241	.254	.319	.409	.316	88	12.1	6.8	-1.6	112	9	0.0	1.5	4.0	1.1
2016	SDN	MLB	NL	100	431	.254	.315	.410	.288	94	4.2	12.2	-4.6	107	9	-5.3	-0.4	4.3	0.6
2017	ATL	MLB	NL	115	467	.255	.322	.420	.318	95	0.3	13.6	-3.4	101	12	-14.6	-3.4	1.8	-0.6
2017	GWN	AAA	INT	1	4	.166	.217	.242	.333	96	0.1	0.1	0	80	0	-0.1	0.0	-0.1	0.0
2018	LAN	MLB	NL	146	506	.248	.316	.405	.339	97	15.8	14.2	-4.2	116	9	-3.8	-2.1	11.0	1.6
2019	CIN	MLB	NL	20	62	.245	.305	.432	.268	96	-5.9	1.9	-0.4	73	12	-1.6	0.0	-1.9	-0.2
2019	SYR	AAA	INT	8	36	.272	.359	.460	.269	93	-3.3	1.2	-0.6	72	0	-0.7	-0.5	-1.3	-0.2

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

Year	Team	lvl	LG	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	TB	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	SF	SH
2004	VRO	A+	FSL	42	37	5	13	5	0	1	21	9	4	12	2	1	.351	.415	.568	.216	0	0
2004	CGA	A	SAL	458	423	67	122	22	8	17	211	66	24	100	8	7	.288	.333	.499	.210	1	1
2005	VRO	A+	FSL	454	418	76	128	21	4	27	238	90	25	92	23	6	.306	.352	.569	.263	1	1
2006	JAX	AA	SOU	224	199	38	65	15	2	7	105	34	20	38	11	2	.327	.402	.528	.201	0	0
2006	LVG	AAA	PCL	202	182	37	67	14	6	3	102	36	17	26	14	3	.368	.426	.560	.192	1	1
2006	LAN	MLB	NL	166	154	30	39	7	1	7	69	23	9	53	6	0	.253	.289	.448	.195	3	0
2007	LVG	AAA	PCL	174	161	32	53	16	3	4	87	20	10	26	9	2	.329	.376	.540	.211	0	0
2007	LAN	MLB	NL	311	292	47	100	12	5	10	152	42	16	66	10	5	.342	.373	.521	.178	3	0
2008	LAN	MLB	NL	657	606	93	176	38	5	18	278	76	46	153	35	11	.290	.340	.459	.168	3	1
2009	LAN	MLB	NL	667	606	97	180	25	7	26	297	101	52	139	34	8	.297	.352	.490	.193	6	0
2010	LAN	MLB	NL	668	602	82	150	25	6	28	271	89	53	170	19	15	.249	.310	.450	.201	9	0
2011	LAN	MLB	NL	689	602	115	195	33	4	39	353	126	74	159	40	11	.324	.399	.586	.262	7	0
2012	LAN	MLB	NL	449	403	74	122	22	2	23	217	69	40	103	9	4	.303	.367	.538	.236	3	0
2012	RCU	A+	CAL	16	14	2	6	1	0	0	7	4	2	4	0	0	.429	.500	.500	.071	0	0
2012	ABQ	AAA	PCL	16	16	6	8	2	0	2	16	6	0	2	0	0	.500	.500	1.000	.500	0	0
2013	RCU	A+	CAL	19	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	0	1	.000	.053	.000	.000	0	0
2013	ABQ	AAA	PCL	12	11	3	2	2	0	0	4	0	1	6	1	0	.182	.250	.364	.182	0	0
2013	LAN	MLB	NL	290	263	35	71	15	0	6	104	33	22	76	9	0	.270	.328	.395	.125	3	0
2014	LAN	MLB	NL	599	541	77	155	38	3	25	274	89	52	145	8	5	.287	.346	.506	.220	6
2015	SDN	MLB	NL	648	596	80	158	31	3	23	264	100	39	147	12	2	.265	.312	.443	.178	8	0
2016	ATL	MLB	NL	241	214	35	60	15	0	12	111	39	20	56	1	0	.280	.336	.519	.238	6	0
2016	SDN	MLB	NL	431	409	54	107	24	0	23	200	69	16	100	0	0	.262	.285	.489	.227	6	0
2017	ATL	MLB	NL	467	438	47	121	23	1	19	203	64	27	99	0	2	.276	.318	.463	.187	1	0
2017	GWN	AAA	INT	4	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	.333	.250	.333	.000	1	0
2018	LAN	MLB	NL	506	462	62	134	25	0	21	222	85	36	115	0	0	.290	.338	.481	.190	7	0
2019	SYR	AAA	INT	36	34	3	8	0	0	1	11	3	2	7	0	0	.235	.278	.324	.088	0	0
2019	CIN	MLB	NL	62	60	4	12	2	0	1	17	5	1	19	0	0	.200	.210	.283	.083	1	0

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%	CSAA
2008	2352	0.5038	0.5174	0.7329	0.7013	0.3308	0.8099	0.5674	0.2671	0.0063
2009	2599	0.5017	0.4756	0.7549	0.6426	0.3073	0.8341	0.5879	0.2451	0.0102
2010	2606	0.4992	0.4570	0.6952	0.6180	0.2966	0.7662	0.5478	0.3048	0.0041
2011	2620	0.4954	0.4947	0.7137	0.6880	0.3048	0.7604	0.6104	0.2863	-0.0024
2012	1725	0.4638	0.4725	0.7117	0.6700	0.3016	0.7948	0.5520	0.2883	0.0026
2013	1082	0.4917	0.4824	0.6628	0.6654	0.3055	0.7966	0.3810	0.3372	-0.0058
2014	2275	0.4769	0.4712	0.6940	0.6553	0.3034	0.8059	0.4737	0.3060	-0.0023
2015	2528	0.4739	0.5099	0.7347	0.6845	0.3526	0.8171	0.5906	0.2653	-0.0059
2016	2406	0.4825	0.5536	0.7065	0.7209	0.3976	0.7981	0.5515	0.2935	0.0000
2017	1665	0.4565	0.5471	0.7025	0.7382	0.3867	0.7647	0.6029	0.2975	0.0000
2018	1779	0.4772	0.5115	0.7033	0.7114	0.3290	0.7964	0.5196	0.2967	0.0000
2019	226	0.4425	0.5442	0.5854	0.7500	0.3810	0.6800	0.4375	0.4146	0.0000
Career	23863	0.4850	0.4993	0.7125	0.6801	0.3291	0.7944	0.5523	0.2875	0.0010

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2014-09-14	2014-09-14	DTD	0	0	Left	Foot	Contusion	Foul Ball	-
2014-03-19	2014-04-04	15-DL	16	5	Right	Ankle	Recovery From Surgery	Loose Bodies, Bone Spur, and Microfracture Talus	2013-10-21	-
2013-10-21	2013-10-21	Off	0	0	Left	Ankle	Surgery	Loose Bodies, Bone Spur, and Microfracture Talus	2013-10-21	-
2013-10-08	2013-10-08	Off	0	0	Left	Shoulder	Surgery	AC Joint Debridement	2013-10-08	-
2013-09-28	2013-10-03	DTD	5	2	Left	Ankle	Soreness		-	-
2013-07-22	2013-09-16	15-DL	56	52	Left	Ankle	Sprain		-	-
2013-07-06	2013-07-21	15-DL	15	11	Left	Shoulder	Inflammation	AC Joint	-	-
2013-05-30	2013-06-25	15-DL	26	24	Right	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2012-10-05	2012-10-05	Off	0	0	Left	Shoulder	Surgery	Repaired Detached Labrum	2012-10-05	-
2012-09-08	2012-09-11	DTD	3	2	Left	Shoulder	Cartilage Injury	Frayed Labrum and Inflammation	-	-
2012-08-29	2012-08-31	DTD	2	2	Right	Knee	Contusion	Running Into Wall	-	-
2012-05-31	2012-07-13	15-DL	43	37	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-
2012-05-14	2012-05-29	15-DL	15	14	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2012-05-06	2012-05-07	DTD	1	1	Left	Thigh	Tightness	Hamstring	-	-
2011-06-10	2011-06-10	DTD	0	0	Left	Thigh	Soreness	Hamstring	-
2008-06-30	2008-07-01	DTD	1	1	Right	Face	Infection	Eye	-
2007-07-09	2007-07-13	DTD	4	0	Right	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-
2007-04-10	2007-04-27	15-DL	17	15	Right	Shoulder	Separation	AC Joint Running Into Outfield Wall	-

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2020	COL	$
2019	LAN	$7,000,000
2019	CIN	$14,750,000
2018	LAN	$3,500,000
2018	LAN	$21,750,000
2017	LAN	$2,750,000
2017	ATL	$19,000,000
2016	LAN	$3,750,000
2016	SDN	$18,000,000
2015	SDN	$3,250,000
2015	LAN	$18,000,000
2014	LAN	$21,250,000
2013	LAN	$20,250,000
2012	LAN	$10,250,000
2011	LAN	$7,100,000
2010	LAN	$4,000,000
2009	LAN	$467,000
2008	LAN	$406,000
2007	LAN	$383,000

Years	Description	Salary
13 yr	Previous	$175,856,000
13 yr	Total	$175,856,000

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
13 y 87 d	Reynolds Sports	1 year (2020)

Details

1 year (2020). Signed by Miami as a free agent 12/19 (minor-league contract). Released by Miami 6/30/20. Signed by Colorado as a free agent 7/3/20 (minor-league contract). Contract selected by Colorado 7/18/20.
8 years/$160M (2012-19). Signed extension with LA Dodgers 11/18/11 (avoided arbitration). $2M signing bonus (paid 4/15/12). 12:$10M, 13:$20M, 14:$21M, 15:$21M, 16-19:$21.5M annually. $2M of 2012 salary deferred until 4/15/13. At signing, largest-ever deal for National League player and tied for seventh-largest ever. Acquired by San Diego in trade from LA Dodgers 12/18/14, with Dodgers paying $32M of $107M remaining on the contract. (Dodgers to pay $18M of 2015 salary, $3.5M each of salaries in 2016-19.) Acquired by Atlanta in trade from San Diego 7/30/16, with Padres paying Braves $10.5M as part of the deal. Acquired by LA Dodgers in trade from Atlanta 12/16/17. Acquired by Cincinnati in trade from LA Dodgers 12/21/18 (Dodgers pay Reds $7M as part of the deal). Released by Cincinnati 5/5/19. Signed by NY Mets as a free agent 5/24/19 (minor-league contract). Released by NY Mets 7/12/19.
2 years/$10.95M (2010-11). Re-signed 1/15/10 (avoided arbitration). 10:$4M, 11:$6.95M. 11 salary increase based on 2010 PAs ($50,000 600 PAs, $0.1M 650 PAs, $0.15M 675 PAs).
1 year/$476,000 (2009). Re-signed by LA Dodgers 3/6/09.
1 year/$406,000 (2008). Re-signed by LA Dodgers 2/23/08.
1 year/$383,000 (2007). Re-signed by LA Dodgers 2/07.
1 year (2006). Contract purchased by LA Dodgers 5/06.
Drafted by LA Dodgers 2003 (6-181) (Midwest City HS, Okla.).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	VORP	WARP
90^o	150	19	41	9	6	21	12	32	.301	.360	.500	129	10.6	1.1
80^o	129	16	34	7	5	17	10	28	.288	.346	.475	121	7.4	0.8
70^o	115	14	29	6	4	15	9	25	.276	.336	.448	115	5.5	0.6
60^o	102	12	24	5	3	13	7	23	.258	.314	.409	110	4.0	0.4
50^o	90	10	22	5	3	11	6	20	.265	.311	.434	105	2.9	0.3
40^o	78	9	19	4	3	9	5	18	.264	.308	.444	100	1.9	0.2
30^o	65	7	14	3	2	8	4	15	.233	.281	.383	95	1.0	0.1
20^o	51	5	11	2	2	6	3	12	.234	.280	.404	89	0.3	0.0
10^o	30	3	6	1	1	3	2	7	.214	.267	.357	81	-0.2	0.0
Weighted Mean	95	11	23	5	3	12	7	21	.264	.316	.425	107	3.4	0.4

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2019-11-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Jo Adell is great and all but this Angels farm system still seems depleted and disappointing, like everything Craig has ever done. Anyway, Jo Adell reminds me of prime Matt Kemp, is that a reasonable comp? (Yuri from Israel)	I think the shape will be a little different, better glove, more game pop, maybe more .270-.280 than .300+. I've used Justin Upton before, although Kemp is a better physical comp for Adell (who somehow keeps finding good weight to add). Kemp also had a weird peak among all-star level players, with the MVP season following a disaster year, and uneven seasons around them. (Los Angeles Angels Top 10 Chat)
2019-06-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Have you noticed the years by “ancient” players? Kendrick looks like one of the most valuable trade pieces given his 149 wRC+, his positional flexibility, and $3M salary. Choo actually looks like he is worth $20M. Hunter Pence’s 143 wRC+ is on a MINOR LEAGUE DEAL. Statcast backs all three up too! (Matt from Boston)	Love that the formatting got screwed up on "ancient," making it look as antiquated as the mid-30s guys. I've not really thought about the three as a group, given that they've all had such different roads up to this point in the last few years. I think one of the problems, as we learned with Matt Kemp last year, is that these players could certainly drop off at any point (though I ardently want them to keep it up, when the league becomes young is being old a way of fighting the power?). Still, at least one of those guys will be moved. (Ginny Searle)
2017-07-13 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Where do you think Acuna plays? Does he move to rf? Or stay in cf and they shift inciarte to rf? (kjesanis from Ct)	Talk about a luxury. I think Inciarte is too good in CF to move, so they'll get to have two great defensive outfielders (um, and Matt Kemp), which is nice. (Mark Barry)
2017-04-28 13:30:00 (link to chat)	Polanco's not hitting for any power and I assume it's lingering shoulder issues. Are you worried longterm? (Ceej from Pittsburgh)	I'm not. Shoulder injuries can take a long time to recover from, but you can recover (ask Matt Kemp or Adrian Gonzalez, among others). If he continues to be hurt, that's a problem, if he's bad while regaining health...that's pittsburgh's problem in the short term, but I wouldn't sweat it long term. I still love him. (Craig Goldstein)
2017-02-16 20:00:00 (link to chat)	Assuming you saw Brinson last year do you think he has or will develop the required plate discipline necessary to hit for a decent average or will he turn into a current day Matt Kemp type ? (Craig from Green Bay, WI)	I think developing it is definitely within his capabilities - he's never going to have the best control of the zone, but he's already a better hitter than some with similar profiles. (Kate Morrison)
2016-05-18 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Matt Kemp @ 15M per year is worth a couple minor leaguers, no? Would it be easier to trade Melvin Upton at this point? (AJ Preller from Catalina Wine Mixer)	ITS THE CATALINA WINE MIXER...I don't think you're going to find anyone to take Melvin, sorry. The "never count out Dave Stewart" caveat applies here tho. You never know with Arizona. (George Bissell)
2016-02-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey Matt,do you think Matt Kemp is still has some value or are you down on him??? Thanks,John (John from Boston)	The pole-to-pole power is gone, but dude still hits the ball hard, and pulls it often. IT was another season with one great half and one bad one in 2015. I'll guess he does that yet again. (Matthew Trueblood)
2015-05-26 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Mike, who are some of the guys that you might target to trade for who got off to slow starts but you expect to turn it around (or have started to recently)? Thanks (DanDaMan from Sea Cliff)	Two White Sox - Alexei Ramirez and Melky Cabrera - jump out as players who just have to turn it around. Neither one of them is this bad, and the White Sox in general are a much better team than they have shown so far. Nick Castellanos is another guy who I have seen some signs will get better; he is more of a player than this and should improve. If you're looking for a bigger name, Matt Kemp started out slow last year before going nuts. If you have an owner with an itchy trigger finger, he's the guy to go after on that "buy low" proposition. (Mike Gianella)
2015-01-08 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Please look in your crystal ball and tell us about Matt Kemp's next 3 seasons. (dbradley88 from SoCal)	Kemp is a fun one to look at because he could follow the Albert Belle path of killing the ball for two seasons and then being out of baseball forever, or he could play mediocre baseball for three years, or he could just keep on trucking with no issues. If pressed I'd put a triple slash of .265/.325/.435 on him over the next three years maybe. That's pretty good on a bad hip! (Jeff Long)
2014-12-18 15:00:00 (link to chat)	Who has better eyes, Ben or Matt Kemp? Also, what was the deal with Jose Castillo not pitching last year? Anything that harms his long term value? (John from CT)	Look, I love Ben and I have to work with him, but this isn't a contest. They're both beautiful people though, I think we can all agree. Castillo's lack of pitching was due to some soreness but nothing structural (I asked Keith Law, but also received an answer from our own Tucker Blair). He threw in a Venezuelan League, but that doesn't seem to have been picked up by B-Ref. (Craig Goldstein)
2014-12-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who do you think is the biggest name to get traded this offseason? (Shawnykid23 from CT)	Matt Kemp, I'd put him above Heyward and probably JUpton, but maybe that's just me... (Sahadev Sharma)
2014-12-11 18:00:00 (link to chat)	Multiple choice question. Which of following is the best option for the Dodgers: A. Dump Andre Ethier and pay all of his salary; B. Dump Carl Crawford and pay two-thirds of his salary; C. Trade Matt Kemp, pay none of his salary and get a second-tier prospect in return; or D. Keep all three and hire a dispute resolution mediator to help Don Mattingly. (Fighting Sagehen47 from Greenville, SC)	How about E, trade Kemp and some salary, and get your new starting catcher? (Mark Anderson)
2014-07-22 15:00:00 (link to chat)	If Matt Kemp does get moved by the trade deadline, is Joc Pederson an immediate call up? (Adrian from LA)	Dodgers would have to pick up a lot of money, and I don't see that happening. Would love to see Joc, though. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-07-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Go US! Chris, why do people say Nick Williams' has a great hit tool, but then he has a close to 27% K%. Is there not a direct correlation between hit tool and K%? I feel I'm missing something here. Not trying to hate on Williams or anything, but I just don't understand it. (Mike from NJ)	Good question. There is a correlation, but there are also exceptions to the rule. Matt Kemp is a career .292 hitter with a 23% K rate. Williams, by all accounts, has a innate ability to put the ball in play and hit it hard, it's just an approach issue. He's still young but several BP guys have and they loved it. (Chris Rodriguez)
2014-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	The Joc Pederson injury is disappointing. Any news on the severity? How do you see LA handling their outfield log jam? (Peter from LA)	I haven't heard anything other than what was generally reported, which is that he left the game but didn't have to go to the hospital. I don't know how Pederson is going to fit in yet and (injury not withstanding), it still wouldn't shock me to see him in another uniform, though I don't THINK the Dodgers should move him. They're going to need young, cheap talent and he's a good one. That said, you'd think they'd have to make a trade at some point right? Someone will take Matt Kemp off of their hands, but that still doesn't leave room for Pederson if everyone's healthy. (Jeff Moore)
2014-06-16 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you see Matt Kemp or Ryan Braun ever returning to form? I realize with Kemp it's more of a role/morale issue, is there anything indicating that their struggles are related more to a declining skill set or a mental rut? (pmitchell60 from NOLA)	For Braun, he may never return to MVP levels because perhaps he wasn't really an MVP. Regardless, he's still having a pretty good year so he seems to be fine. With Kemp, there's probably not a player in the game that could use a chance of scenery more than Kemp. The biggest surprise is his all-of-the-sudden inability to man center field, but you have to wonder if some of that is just his mental state. Remember how we had all written off Hanley Ramirez when he was in Miami and decided he couldn't play shortstop any more? Well, he's not great at it, but he seems to be doing ok in LA when he can stay on the field. Kemp is the center field equivalent of Ramirez. I could see him getting traded somewhere and absolutely exploding. (Jeff Moore)
2014-06-16 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What do the Dodgers do with Joc Pederson? They can't let him waste away in Triple-A all year, can they? (Kingpin from Grinnell, IA)	He's hardly wasting away in Triple-A, having just turned 22. Would be still be there if he were on any other team? Probably not, but it's not like he's old and watching his career go by. He still has less than 300 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors and is striking out 29.5 percent of the time. Let's let him work on those things before hew start replacing Matt Kemp. (Jeff Moore)
2014-04-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey Paul, would you trade Alex Wood and Leonys Martin for Danny Salazar and Matt Kemp? (birk from Dayton)	I think I would. It's hard taking the down asset in Salazar, but the upside for that trade is a huge win. (Paul Sporer)
2014-03-14 09:00:00 (link to chat)	Are there any other teams with 290 true average outfielders sitting on the bench? Why can't/won't the Dodgers move Ethier for a middle infielder? (Russ from Chicago)	Probably not. The answer is two-fold. The Dodgers probably want to see if Matt Kemp is going to be healthy this year before pulling the plug on Ethier in a deal where they won't get much in return. The other rub is that contract. If my maths are right, Ethier is guaranteed another $71.5MM through 2017 (and this assumes his 2018 option doesn't vest). The Dodgers are going to have to probably eat some money to move him if they even are inclined to do so. (Mike Gianella)
2014-03-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What are you thoughts on Puig this year? In a 12 team H2H 6x6 with OBP, I had him as a keeper in the 20th round. Just had our draft last night, and I can trade him for Heyward. Puig would cost an 18th rounder this next year. Heyward a 3rd rounder. Not too worried about keepers since we only keep 3. I am worried about Puig's regression and coming in out of shape. Make the move or am I overreacting? (Joe from Chucktown)	Here's what I think about Puig and Heward. One of these years, Heyward is going to stay healthy and put it all together and everyone will wish they had him. Puig is going to come back to Earth slightly. I just don't know if anyone can hit .319 consistently with that approach, even with his natural ability to put the barrel on the ball. He's going to hit for power and he's going to run, howver, so even .280/.320/.480 with 25/25 HR/SB is a nice little player. I don't know anything about the rounds/keepers conundrum you talk about. I've never done a league like that and I'm not a fantasy expert. I's a prospect guy. I am in a multi-sport fantasy league, however, where I traded Matt Kemp this off-season for Jamal Charles who won me my football league, so there's that. (Jeff Moore)
2014-02-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What will Matt Kemp's 2014 season look like? (onthereg527 from Boston )	Hopefully a healthy one, but I can't see it given his injury history over these past few seasons. (Ronit Shah)
2014-02-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi R.J., Read recently where Adam Eaton said he'd like to have an OBA of .400 and steal 40 bases. I know he's done it in AAA but do you think that's realistic with the Sox ? (Pete from Chicago)	Pete, I like Eaton as a player and as an acquisition, but he's unlikely to hit those marks. We haven't seen a player pull off 40/.400 since Bobby Abreu in 2004, and it's only been done four other times since the latest round of expansion. Of course there have been three close calls over the past five seasons: Mike Trout missed out by one point of OBP in 2012; same with Matt Kemp in 2011; and Chone Figgins was within five points in 2009. It's just a tough combination to achieve. Figgins is probably the best-case scenario for Eaton, as he lacks Trout and Kemp's strength. Still, I think it's more likely that he hits around .270, which ... just to do the math ... assuming he gets 500 AB and maintains his current HBP and SF rates ... he'd need about 96 walks to get a .400 OBP. That's a ~16 percent walk rate, or what would've been the second-highest rate last season in the majors. So no, I don't think those are realistic expectations for Eaton. He should help the White Sox nonetheless. (R.J. Anderson)
2014-02-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who is the Roman Reigns of baseball? (cdgoldstein from DC)	I'm not into the wrestlemen stuff at all, so I asked Marc Normandin, who is, what this would entail: "Someone with a monster, limitless ceiling who also looks like a prince." Giancarlo Stanton would be my answer. Normandin offered healthy Matt Kemp. (R.J. Anderson)
2014-02-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Deep Roto Keeper League Q: Looking to make a splash with an early pick of a prospect. We can keep players forever at no cost, but just five next year w/ my #5 being Matt Kemp. Are any of these players capable of being better than Kemp by next year: Oscar Taveras Jose Abreu Gerrit Cole Tanaka All other prospects like Bruxton are not available in our pool. (lipitorkid from California)	It depends on how lucky you feel about Kemp's health. If he's hearty and hale, he's the best player of the bunch. But how likely is that? If you have the stomach to stand with him another year, that's what I would advise, because I think he has the highest 2014 ceiling of the bunch. (R.J. Anderson)
2013-12-10 18:00:00 (link to chat)	Fanstays question (wouldn't happen) A trade where the mets send Noah Syndergaard to the Dodgers for Kemp and some salary relief (say around 2-3 million off each year) is that possible.. Or mets would have to add another propsect/ ask for less salary relief. This more so helps see where Syndergaards value is at and how far (if so) Kemps value has fallen. (MetsFaithful5 from Syracuse )	Hi Mets: With Curtis Granderson in the fold, I don't see it happening. Matt Kemp is intriguing but also very risky and while the Mets have opened their purse strings somewhat this winter, I don't see them making this big of a splash financially. Noah Syndergaard is also their best prospect and they're probably not going to trade him straight up for an outfielder coming off of a big injury year. The entire scenario seems unlikely. While the Mets might not be as adamant as the Mariners have been about not moving Taijuan Walker, the price for Syndergaard is still likely to be very high. (Mike Gianella)
2013-12-10 18:00:00 (link to chat)	Soup starter: Matt Kemp to Cincy for Brandon Phillips. What needs to be added, and dare the Reds get bold and try Billy Hamilton at 2b, at least until Ludwick's deal is up, at which time they put Kemp in LF and BHam in CF? (DF from Wilmington, NC)	I think the Dodgers would have to kick in some money to make this happen and even though their pockets are deep I think the goal in moving Matt Kemp is to try to save money, not add another long term contract in Brandon Phillips. I suspect that the Dodgers are more likely to move Andre Ethier than Kemp and aren't simply going move Kemp for salary relief. It also seems that the Dodgers are going to try Alexander Guerrero at the keystone and if they do bring in a 2B will bring in someone more "marginal" to compete for the job. The Reds priority is going to be to make Billy Hamilton comfortable both at the plate and on the field so I think it's unlikely they move him to 2B. That doesn't mean it's impossible, but the club seems committed to keeping him in the outfield for now. (Mike Gianella)
2013-10-07 18:00:00 (link to chat)	I own Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, Domonic Brown and Matt Kemp in a dynasty league. Can I count on either of them to make a huge step forward next year to elite status? Thanks! (Derek from St. Louis)	Hi Derek: I wouldn't think any of them are big "huge step forward" guys, but Brown and Kemp are probably your best bets. Kemp will bounce back assuming health (a big if, though) while Brown is still young enough that he could maintain or get a little better. (Mike Gianella)
2013-09-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm going to make Harvey, Jessica, and Mike Ross pay! But you'll have to wait and see! In the meantime, what to do with Matt Kemp in dynasty? My competition needs to be LITT up, but I have significant concerns re: Kemp's health. (Louis Litt from Mudding)	You can try and trade him, but you're going to take a hit. Be heartened by the 51 PA in Aug/Sept and hang onto him (Paul Sporer)
2013-07-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Will Matt Kemp ever be the Matt Kemp of old? Do I just need to be patient with that shoulder? Thanks! (George from L.A.)	I don't think he ever turns into the Matt Kemp of old. He was always high strikeout, and the walk rate is coming down. That the power is gone is the biggest problem, but even if that comes back to some degree, it's still a long way to MVP status and you don't age into better outfield play. (Zachary Levine)
2013-06-11 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Over his last 18 games, Andre Ethier is batting .150/.239/.200. Do you bench him if you're Mattingly? (Aaron from Long Beach)	I don't think you can do much more than platoon Ethier right now, with Carl Crawford and Matt Kemp on the DL, but as the outfield gets healthier, Mattingly (and perhaps Ned Colletti) will have some difficult decisions to make. If Yasiel Puig keeps this up, it'll be nearly impossible to bench or demote him, and in that case, I think Ethier-despite his contract-might be the odd man out. (Daniel Rathman)
2013-06-04 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think this DL time will help Matt Kemp eventually grasp his superstar status again? (Travis from Georgia)	Yes. Health is the issue, not skills. (Paul Sporer)
2013-05-24 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Alright, I tried to frame a previous question as a non-fantasy question, but I'm going just ask without shame: I've been offered Matt Kemp for Carlos Gomez, but I'm relying on Gomez for steals. I still take the deal, right? Unless something is really wrong with Kemp. (Scott from OC)	Yeah, you have to. Not taking it goes against everything we know. BUT I will say that I'm way down on Kemp and I'd probably trade him for just about anybody taken in the top three rounds this year. (Sam Miller)
2013-05-22 18:00:00 (link to chat)	How much longer do you think Matt Kemp will be recovering from this shoulder surgery? Will his power be back at all this season, or is he worth trading for someone like Jay Bruce? (Kyle from Compton)	another 6 weeks or so. That front shoulder for hitters is huge and they need it to get their power. BJ Upton suffered from it in 2009, Luke Scott did last year, and Bagwell years before that. I'd deal him for Bruce and let someone else suffer through the frustration. (Jason Collette)
2013-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	At what point should I go from kind of nervous to outright panic over Matt Kemp's utter lack of power? A .077 ISO is starting to really worry me. (buddons42 from Detroit)	Makes sense, that's why it's tough to invest in guys coming off of major injuries. (Paul Sporer)
2013-05-10 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you see my boy Matt Kemp picking up the homerun rate anytime soon? Thanks for the chat by the way! (Tim from Delaware)	I am not expecting much from Kemp in the power department for awhile, as I am wary of his power potential as he regains strength following off-season shoulder surgery. Shoulder strength and integrity of the joint play a big role in generating power for both hitters and pitchers, and the recovery time is typically slow as compared to other types of injuries. I am not expecting much from Kemp in the power department for awhile. (Doug Thorburn)
2013-04-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)	I was offered Prince Fielder and Andrelton Simmons for Matt Kemp. Should I accept? (Antonio from Teaneck, NJ)	Most people in this world are trying to take advantage of you. Never give an inch. (Sam Miller)
2013-02-27 20:00:00 (link to chat)	Who do you like more this year - Adrian Beltre, Prince Fielder or Matt Kemp? (amazin_mess from NY)	Kemp, Beltre, Fielder. This obviously is predicated on Kemp's health. Fielder might be slightly ahead of Beltre without positional concerns, but the fact that Beltre's at third puts him slightly ahead. (Mike Gianella)
2012-07-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Looking ahead, who are your Top 5 SS for next season? (And, if you feel like it, Top 5 CF as well) (sitdancer from DC)	Right now, I'd rank the shortstops 1- Troy Tulowitzki 2- Jose Reyes 3- Starlin Castro 4- Elvis Andrus 5- Ian Desmond I struggled to rank 3-5, and an argument could be made for shuffling them up in any order. Hanley Ramirez could throw a wrench into these rankings if he sees time at SS in Dee Gordon's absence. As for the CF position, I'm much less comfortable ranking them at the moment. Matt Kemp has missed time due to injury, as has Jacoby Ellsbury. Josh Hamilton has been streaky as hell, and I just want to see a bit more from others. As it stands, though, my top 3 would be Trout, Kemp, McCutchen in that order. (Josh Shepardson)
2012-06-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	HR Derby team captains are Robinson Cano and Matt Kemp. Cano has already said he's inviting Granderson. (Chris from work)	Really? How did they decide that? And do they know that Kemp has only played in two games since May 13? Granderson deserves to be on the team, but so do Adam Dunn, Josh Hamilton, Bautista, Encarnacion, Trumbo, etc. My guess is it's Cano, Granderson, Dunn, and Butler, unless one of those two decline the invitation. I'd say that'd be a pretty entertaining derby. (Larry Granillo)
2012-05-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Matt Kemp got a lot of money this offseason, but did he deserve more? (Alex from Anaheim)	The compensation section of his player card says this: "At signing, largest-ever deal for National League player and tied for seventh-largest ever." That seems about right, unless he slugs .800 over the next three seasons. Then he deserves more. (Ken Funck)
2012-04-12 14:00:00 (link to chat)	How can Matt Kemp's OBP be less than his BA? (adambennett from Spring Green)	OBP and BA use different denominators. BA uses AB while OBP uses AB+BB+HBP+SF. In a small sample, a sac fly can make this happen if the batter hasn't drawn a walk (like Kemp). (Derek Carty)
2012-04-04 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Jordan Akins. What up? (Jordan Akins Dad from USA)	Great user name. Great athlete that has started taking the steps to be a great baseball player. Long way to go, but damn that ceiling is high. It's Matt Kemp high. (Jason Parks)
2012-02-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think the Dodgers will be surprisingly competitive with Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, and a healthy Andre Ethier this year? (Tim from Reno)	I think they'll be better off than last year, in a division where nobody is going to run away. (Jay Jaffe)
2012-02-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Derek, if you had a choice, which pick would you want in an NL only straight-draft? (bkopman from Toronto)	#1. I'm actually in such a league this year and have drawn the #8 pick, which I'm not super pleased about. I'd take the first pick and Matt Kemp, given my druthers. (Derek Carty)
2012-01-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you see any current major leaguers or up-and-coming minor leaguers make a significantly improved impact on the basepaths this season? (LoyalRoyal from Kansas)	I can't say that I do. Players don't typically get faster as they age, and it's tough to know when someone is going to get better at running the bases. Last year, we heard that baserunning guru Davey Lopes was tutoring Matt Kemp in the wake of his 19 SB/15 CS 2010 season, so a lot of people projected improvement there. Correctly, as it turned out: Kemp ended up stealing 40 while getting caught only 11 times. But I'm not aware of any calls that easy to make at this point in the winter. Maybe when spring training rolls around we start to hear who's working on what with whom. Of course, getting on base more often always helps.--Ben (Best of BP with Ben and Dave)
2012-01-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	In my keeper league, I've been offered Matt Kemp for Brett Lawrie. I would be crazy not to accept this trade offer right? (Marissa from LA)	Indeed you would. I'm assuming you can keep players forever, but even still, that's a trade you take unless you're not looking to compete for another year or two. And even if you aren't, it still might be worth it to take the trade and re-deal Kemp mid-season for a greater return than Lawrie. (Derek Carty)
2012-01-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)	With Pujols and Fielder now in the AL, how many NL players are the type of guy that casual fans will know and want to buy a ticket to see? Lincecum? Strasburg? I'm struggling to find a few. (Stay Gold, Man from Outsiders)	You mean besides Will Venable? It does seem like the NL is in a bit of a down cycle when it comes to minting sluggers. There is still Joey Votto and Matt Kemp, maybe Ryan Braun doesn't get suspended, and someone like Justin Upton steps into a greater light, or Mike Stanton captures the world's attention... I would buy a ticket to watch Troy Tulowitzki play. (Steven Goldman)
2011-09-27 13:00:00 (link to chat)	This season's 1st round by ADP: Pujols, Hanley, Miggy, Longoria, Tulo, CarGo, Votto, Wright, AGon, Cano, Teixeira, and Braun. Who falls out next season? Who are candidates to enter the 1st round? (Andrew from Las Vegas)	I'm surprised Matt Kemp didn't make that list this year, and he'll definitely be on it next year. I think we also see Jose Bautista join the ranks as people finally buy into him. Jacoby Ellsbury seems fairly likely, and you might be able to make a case for Curtis Granderson. I think the best bets to fall out to make room include Wright, Teixeira, Longoria, and maybe a CarGo or Hanley. (Derek Carty)
2011-07-13 12:30:00 (link to chat)	How do Matt Kemp and Dread Pirate compare RoS? I got some interesting trade offers include McCutchen + an injured Josh Johnson or Beckett for Kemp? (Dylan B from Boston,MA)	Well, they compare pretty closely in actual baseball, but in fantasy (which--disclaimer--I haven't played in some time now), Kemp is easily the superior player. I don't think I'd give up an awful lot for Josh Johnson right now. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-03-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	so I am in a keeper league with normal settings. Since Wainwright shred his elbow I am changing my keepers. I have two spots open for G. Beckham, Cain, Carpenter, Strasburg (my other guys are JUpton, Texeira, Matt Kemp) (bigrick0016 from Cleveland)	Well what are your keeper league rules? I think that for next year, Carpenter is probably the best guy but he's the least likely to give you a high return if you're thinking long-term. Beckham, as the position player, has the best chance of giving you value in a dynasty league. And Cain falls somewhere in between I think. As for Strasburg, well I have to make a decision on him in a keeper league as well. So if anyone would humor me, how valuable do you all think Strasburg will be in 2012? (Jeremy Greenhouse)
2011-02-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Frankly, I think Loney has more of an Olerud shot than Barton; Loney's glove is pretty slick. On the continuing Dodger front, what do we expect out of Matt Kemp this year? (Silv from NY, NY)	Barton's no slouch with the leather and has the virtue of being a productive offensive player in a more-than-theoretical sense, so I think he has to have the edge there. If I can be permitted another PECOTA teaser, the system foresees something of a rebound for Kemp, and I'm inclined to agree. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-01-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I've got an outfield heavy team in an 11 team, standard 5x5 league with 5 keepers (boring, I know). I'm currently thinking David Wright, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Justin Verlander and Matt Latos. But I also have Jay Bruce, Colby Rasmus and Cole Hamels as options. I've recently had the skill of kicking ass drafting starting pitching in the 9th-15th rounds, but who knows if that continues... Am I keeping the worst OF in Upton just because of hype? Which five of those eight do you keep? (Adam from Philly)	I would see what you can get in a trade for Upton--I think he turns into something great, but you might find someone who buys him on the hype of his turning into even more. I would keep Bruce over Kemp though. Verlander/Latos is the right call for the SP, thanks to their respective parks. (Marc Normandin)
2010-09-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What's your dream scenario for the divorce of Ellsbury and the Red Sox? In my world, we trick Crazy Neddie into parting with Matt Kemp, and convince him of the wonders of the National Treasure, Dice K. (mkizner from Boston)	The Dodgers won't need a starting pitcher I don't think. Plus Matsuzaka wasn't part of the World Champion Red Sox so Frank McCourt won't want him on his Los Angeles Faux Sox out west. I hope they end up sending Ellsbury to the Mets and stealing a prospect and an outfielder for him. (Marc Normandin)
2010-09-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I thought I was all set for years to come with Matt Kemp and Justin Upton as two of my annual freezers. Can that still be true going forward, even without one getting a new head and the other a new shoulder? (Yatchisin from Santa Barbara)	Upton has been disappointingly average, but since he's still young I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I would hate to not have him if he returns to developing like he should. Kemp's 2010 is very worrisome, and it's something I'm going to look at in detail this offseason. (Marc Normandin)
2009-10-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)	can you see any similiarities between Matt Kemp and Bernie Williams? Andre Either & Paul O'neill obviously without all the rings! (Michael from New York CIty)	They don't strike me as alike at all. Williams was a mature hitter at a very young age, athletic, but without Kemp's raw tools. Williams was lanky, Kemp is a bigger guy. I think they might have careers of similar value, but Kemp has a higher upside if you compare them at similar ages. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-10-02 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Who should finish second in the NL MVP voting? Hanley? Utley? The extremely under appreciated Matt Kemp? (Candide from Little Neck, NY)	Pujols, maybe? I want to take a real good look at the defensive metrics on Utley. I expect Pujols stays ahead of him, but the question should at least be asked. My top three are those two and Hanley in some order, then probably some SPs and Kemp. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-09-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Matt Kemp: MVP candidate if Albert Pujols were not in the league? (Terry from Bloomington)	I know you're really just trying to ask if I think whether or not a) Matt Kemp has gone unnoticed or b) if anyone on the Dodgers deserves the MVP, but I am not a fan of such hypotheticals. I mean, this isn't exactly akin to "Albert Pujols: MVP candidate if Barry Bonds were not in the league?" circa 2001-04. Say Pujols isn't in baseball. The Cardinals aren't going to be nearly as effective, making them one of those easy-to-beat-up-on teams, which could mean the Brewers and Cubs vault to the top of the standings, and then Braun/Fielder/Lee might be in line for MVP consideration. (Eric Seidman)
2009-09-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	No, I was giving you the cue to talk about how good Matt Kemp is. You talked about the NL Central. (Terry from Bloomington)	Well, Kemp is having a great year. In fact, I'm working on an Unfiltered post for later this week in which I update the triple crown article I wrote, using a simulation as opposed to the straight probabilities for anyone within any semblance of a reach in a category and, while doing so, I was shocked at how good of a year Kemp is having. At such a young age too, he's certainly a guy to covet. (Eric Seidman)
2009-09-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How many players would take over the next 10 years ahead of Matt Kemp? Would there be any other outfielders on that list? (ssjames from Orange, CA )	Justin Upton would be an outfielder ahead of him on my list for sure. (Eric Seidman)
2009-09-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Where does Matt Kemp fall in the NL MVP vote? 3rd? 5th? 10th? Isn't he the best player on the team tied for the best record? (LA Fan from Westwood, CA)	If we keep pitchers out of the equation, then 5th or 6th. I don't consider team record. (Marc Normandin)
2009-08-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How about your Top 5 for NL MVP? I'm interested to see if Matt Kemp is in there. Thanks! (jromero from seattle)	Pujols, Hanley, Lincecum, Utley, Tulowitzki (Joe Sheehan)
2009-07-24 16:30:00 (link to chat)	Joe Mauer hit 9HR in May and 6 in the month and a half since then. What's his real power level? What do you see from him the rest of the season? Do you think Weiters will be better? (Aunt Jemima from Atlanta)	I feel like Mauer is going to be a 16-22 HR hitter with plenty of contact otherwise and patience to boot. A line of, say, .315/.410/.460 with 18 HR. Add in his reportedly stellar defense that spits in the face of Nichols Law, and that makes him the most underrated player in baseball, not this Matt Kemp character. Kemp is underrated in the sense that he is an all-star not known globally, etc. Mauer is underrated in the sense that he is one of the best players in baseball, period, and others might not think of him as anything more than a mere all star. (Eric Seidman)
2009-08-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Like the previous several chat hosts, your lack of response to my Matt Kemp observation/question only serves to reinforce my confusion as to why he's so unsung. Thank you! (jromero from seattle)	In all fairness, you asked me about a bunch of different center fielders, not just Kemp. If you want my opinion of just Kemp, I'll tell you that he's a good contact hitter that consistently posts high BABIP figures, has some pretty good power for center, and plays well defensively all around the outfield. There isn't a team in the majors that couldn't use someone like Kemp in their outfield. (Marc Normandin)
2009-07-13 14:00:00 (link to chat)	It's been a year. How does a Matt Kemp for Robinson Cano swap look now? (Michael from Los Angeles)	I think both teams are happy with what they have. Kemp is the better player in the long term because of his speed and power, and the greater chance he learns to pick up walks. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-07-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Biggest snub is clearly Matt Kemp, right? (Michael from Los Angeles)	It's one of the bigger ones, for sure, though at least he's still eligible in the final vote, as is Pablo Sandoval, another worthy who was snubbed. As a matter of fact I think most of the 10 candidates on those two ballots have solid cases with Pena, Lind, Inge, Sandoval, and Figgins giving Kemp a run for his money. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-07-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Speaking of Matt Kemp, is he still batting in the last third of the Dodgers' lineup? Is there any way doing so can be considered reasonable? (Patrick from MPLS)	The only reason the Dodgers have gotten away with it is because the team leads the league in OBP, and there always seems to be somebody on base for him when he's at-bat. If his RBI total were lower (it's 44, a not-too-distant fourth on the team), Joe Torre might not be getting away with it. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-05-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Long term, Matt Kemp of Justin Upton? (Jonathan from New York)	Upton. That kicks off the lightning round. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-05-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	How would Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier fit into your analysis of outfielders to take over Markakis? Do either of make it, they would at least be in the conversation wouldn't they? (ssjames from Orange, CA)	Ethier, no, as he's too old without the upside. I considered Kemp, though. He'd be in the discussion. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-03-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Thanks for taking questions today, Marc. Jay Bruce, Justin Upton, Matt Kemp: who's better this year and who's better in 2010? (Patrick from MPLS)	I'm listening to my Last.fm radio today by the way, so some random things are popping up. Soundgarden - Big Dumb Sex is on right now. Bruce worries me a bit--he got by on his massive talent alone last year, but clearly wasn't ready for consistent production yet. He's going to be fun to watch as he matures and learns to adjust to the majors. I think right now that Matt Kemp is your safest bet for 2009, but by 2010 I might put Upton in front of him, and maybe even Bruce depending on how fast he moves along. Kemp's nice in fantasy because he does a bit of everything, but I would like to see a better contact rate from him so I can trust his batting average more. (Marc Normandin)
2008-10-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Wouldn't you deal Cain for Prince in a heartbeat, given what you said about Giants pitching? Here you have a what, 24-year-old who has slugged 50 homers in a season? That's worth Cain for sure, right? (tommy from brooklyn)	A bad-body 24-year-old who's had one good year and would be moving to a disastrous park. No, I don't do that if I'm the Giants, especially given I have Sandoval up and Villalona on the way. If they trade a starter, it should be for a comparable CF/RF. The Alex Rios deal rumored last year is the right type, albeit the wrong guy. You want to get...Adam Jones, or Matt Kemp, or Lastings Milledge...someone who will be your best player in two years. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-07-29 16:00:00 (link to chat)	Seriously, though, why do the Dodgers appear to be so willing to deal Matt Kemp? Am I missing something? (Scott from Michigan)	I've never been able to get a good answer on this. (Will Carroll)
2008-07-25 14:00:00 (link to chat)	You've said in the past that you're still on the Matt Kemp as a superstar bandwagon. I hope you're right, but can I ask why? He doesn't make the contact of a Vlad Guerrero, and he's the only superstar that comes to mind with Kemp's sort of plate discipline. Also DO MORE FANTASY 411! (nickojohnson from LA, CA)	I keep expecting that to improve. Kemp is a legitimate .310 hitter with so-so plate discipline, and even a little improvement makes him a superstar. I'd like to see him out of the leadoff spot. Gotta throw some love to Casey, Cory, Mike, Tom, JoJo, Joy and all the rest of the 411 crowd. Love doing that show, lots of fun for me. If you don't watch, check them out at MLB.com now. Uh, in a different browser window. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-07-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I saw a rumor that had Robinson Cano heading to LA for Derek Lowe and Matt Kemp. This reeks of a set up to acquire Washburn and Vidro from Seattle. Tell me that the Yanks don't plan on making Vidro their 2B? (Scott from NJ)	I'd consider that a genuine bit of Apple-flavored nonsense (Big or equine, not Mac), not simply because the Dodgers can't really afford to part with any starting pitching, but because they also have some guy named Kent. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-07-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	"I really like Matt Kemp. He's got a 15% shot of being Vladimir Guerrero." Joe Sheehan, June 20th chat. Seriously? Vlad is a big name to drop. (David from Sonoma State University, CA)	It's a huge name to drop, but what's Joe really saying here? He's saying that chances are 17 out of 20 that he will NOT turn into that. I don't think it's out of bounds at all. Quick tip. Questions that might have some value to others catch my eye MUCH MUCH more than quesitons like "Rank these 34 players" followed by a list of players. (Kevin Goldstein)
2008-06-20 13:30:00 (link to chat)	Better lifetime keeper for next year and beyond (points based league)...Alex Rios, Matt kemp or Mad Max Scherzer Thanks (Mike from Westbury, N.Y.)	Matt Kemp, then Scherzer, then Rios. I really like Matt Kemp. He's got a 15% shot of being Vladimir Guerrero. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-03-11 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Gun to your head: Lastings Milledge or Matt Kemp? (Swingingbunts from NY)	Matt Kemp, who will have more power. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-03-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What are your predictions for two potential breakout outfielders: Matt Kemp and Adam Jones? (shamah from NYC)	I like them both a great deal. But the thing that everyone except Ned Colletti seems to recognize is that Kemp has already broken out. (Nate Silver)
2008-03-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Is the only question with Matt Kemp his playing time? I don't even care if he hits 8th, just as long as he gets at bats, is my thinking skewed? (kddean from Chicago)	In my mind, that's the only question. Kemp can hit, and very well. The Dodgers would be foolish not to employ him somewhere in the lineup on a daily basis, especially since he can hit right now. (Marc Normandin)
2008-01-25 13:30:00 (link to chat)	What's the likely defensive difference between Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp in CF this year? Offensively, it's obvious, and even defensively, it seems clear that Kemp would be an upgrade, but how much? Could Kemp hold his own in CF, or is he destined to play a corner? Thanks! (jromero from seattle)	So did I miss something or is Andruw Jones not playing CF in Los Angeles this summer? But to your question, while everyone knows that Pierre has a poor arm I was a little surprised in center field (where the magnitude of the difference a player can make with his arm is constrained) that he rated so poorly at -7 runs to go along with his -8 runs in the beta version of SFR for outfielders. Simply by replacing Pierre with anyone the difference is likely to be a win or two on the defensive side. In CF Kem played very sparingly there in 2007 so there are no numbers that I have that would reflect his skill there. In right field, however, he was below average both in SFR and throwing so my guess is that he's not in CF for a reason. (Dan Fox)
2008-01-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Where would you rank the peak of Matt Kemp relative to the aforementioned outfielders? (dtimmeny from NYC)	Pretty highly, probably right behind Bruce and in front of Adam Jones. You could make a case for Bruce and Kemp on the same level. With Nate already mentioning PECOTA loving Kemp, you readers might just see a BP-Kemp lovefest for the next decade. Be prepared. (Bryan Smith)
2008-01-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Care to give us a quick preview of Matt Kemp's PECOTA? I'm curious as to how it views his BABIP-assisted numbers from last year (nickojohnson from Los Angeles)	PECOTA: Matt Kemp :: ObamaGirl : Barack Obama. We have him at .297/.349/.505 next year, so the batting average does indeed look like a bit of a fluke, but the isolated power should be right where it ended up last year. (Nate Silver)

BP Roundtables

Date	Roundtable Name	Comment
2009-10-28 17:00:00	2009 WS Game One	James Loney, Ryan Howard, Matt Kemp... (Christina Kahrl)
2009-10-15 17:00:00	2009 NLCS Game One (Phillies/Dodgers)	Jonathan (New York): Matt Kemp, star or superstar? Star now, superstar if he takes another little hop forward, which is possible given that this was just his age-24 season. It would help if he had a manager that wouldn't let him waste half his season batting in the 6/7/8 spots. I have a lot of respect for Joe Torre in many ways, but in others he reminds me of Richard Mulligan playing Custer in "Little Big Man," making oracular and nonsensical pronouncements about people's jobs ("You are a muleskinner!")that have no basis in reality. In NY, he did it with Jorge Posada, rarely batting him out of the bottom half of the order despite his power and on-base skills. Thus a Posada walk would be followed up something like a Miguel Cairo at-bat. (Steven Goldman)
2008-10-13 17:00:00	NLCS Game Four	"jtrichey (Indianapolis): So, what does everybody think about Juan Pierre starting tonight instead of Matt Kemp. You know, the Kemp that has "struggled" in 3 measly games to the tune of a .385 on base average. Yes, I am a Dodger fan, so I'm biased--against Pierre. If we lose because of runners scoring from second with ease on hits to center field, I'm going to be mighty unhappy." And Joe Blanton is basically neutral, leaning backwards, for his career and for 2008. And the only thing Pierre does better than Kemp is remember the '80s. But you go for it, Joe. Unless there's an injury we don't know about, this is brutal. (Joe Sheehan)

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

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