AK’s Corner: (The Real) Matt Kemp is Back!
Let me just start by saying that I have always supported Matt Kemp, I have never advocated for the Los Angeles Dodgers to trade him, and I have always believed that he is the ‘heart and soul’ of the Dodgers (at least since 2009). That being said, watching him struggle through injuries, mediocre play, and a questionable attitude since his MVP-caliber 2011 season, has made me wonder whether or not we would ever see the REAL Matt Kemp back in action with the Dodgers.
Back in April, Kemp hit a couple of home runs in a game against the San Francisco Giants–and I wrote an article afterward believing that it would be a sign of things to come for Kemp in 2014. Unfortunately, Kemp struggled through May, and even though he hit .317 in June with 16 RBIs and a .900 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), there were many people–including Kemp’s own agent, Dave Stewart–who suggested that he might return to form wearing another team’s uniform. It wasn’t simply a matter of offensive production–Kemp struggled in center field and bristled at the notion that he was no longer good enough to play the position. Kemp was even held out of the starting lineup altogether for five straight games in late May while Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly tried to figure out where to play him going forward.
August 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Matt Kemp (27) hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Appearing to finally be healthy after ‘lost’, injury-filled, seasons in 2012 and 2013, Kemp’s position-shuffling, and seemingly dour attitude, looked to be holding him back more than any physical or mechanical flaws. Or so I thought. Yesterday, Pedro Moura, of the Orange County Register, reported that Kemp had been made aware of a flaw in his batting stance earlier this season, but only approached Dodgers hitting coaches Mark McGwire and John Valentin at the beginning of the second half of the season to make the necessary adjustments. Kemp’s offensive statistics since the All Star break: a .377 batting average, 1.176 OPS, 5 home runs, 14 RBIs in only 14 games started and 53 at bats. Last time Kemp put up numbers like that–April of 2012, before all of his injury troubles started.
In case you’ve forgotten, Kemp was unstoppable in 2011 and March/April of 2012. In 2011, Kemp hit .324 with 39 home runs, 126 RBIs, 40 stolen bases, and a .985 OPS. At the start of the 2012 season, many baseball observers felt that Kemp was the best player in the major leagues. And, unlike many others who’ve generated gaudy batting statistics, Kemp has never been suspected of using PEDs (performance enhancing drugs). In March/April 2012, Kemp hit .417 with 12 home runs, 25 RBIs, and a 1.383 OPS in only 23 games.
Jul 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Matt Kemp (27) celebrates with teammates Dee Gordon (9) and shortstop Miguel Rojas (72) a hitting a walk-off single in the 10th inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Braves 2-1 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Frankly, there was never any reason to believe that Kemp, entering his age 27 season, would have difficulty producing similar stats season after season during the prime of his career. In fact, before injuring his left hamstring in May 2012, Kemp had the longest consecutive games played streak in the majors at 399 games. Unfortunately, that hamstring injury lingered for two months, then a crash into the Coors Field outfield wall (left shoulder) in August 2012. a right hamstring injury in May 2013, and an awkward step onto home-plate (left ankle) at Nationals Park last summer, derailed (at least temporarily) his superstar trajectory.
With Kemp having: 1) survived the trade deadline despite his agent’s suggestions, 2) settled in quite nicely as the Dodgers’ starting right-fielder, 3) found his elite hitting ability, and 4) recaptured his fiery, team-carrying attitude, the sky’s the limit. You could even make the argument that the Dodgers, despite having not made any trades, ironically, were the big winners of the trade deadline because they acquired the REAL Matt Kemp from 2011 and March/April 2012. After everything that Kemp has gone through the past two and a half seasons, I sure hope that he’s finally back too.