Los Angeles Dodgers: Fifty greatest Dodgers of all-time (50-46)
By Jason Reed
48. OF Matt Kemp (22.2 WAR)
Stats: 1116 G, .292 AVG, 182 HR, 648 RBI’s, 2x All-Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
Man, I miss Matt Kemp. I know it was the best thing to do to get rid of his massive contract, but just seeing how he is playing this season for the Braves is kind of discouraging. I mean, I did predict that Kemp would have a special year this year for the Braves, but I never expected anything like this season.
However, it is apparent that his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers truly was special. Growing up a hardcore Dodger fan, Kemp was my idol for a long time, and seeing his injuries and eventual downfall with the Dodgers was hard to watch, still, his accolades are extremely impressive.
Just look at the statistical jump from the previous guys on this list to Kemp, it is huge, yet his WAR is only slightly higher. His fielding is what held him back in terms of WAR, as according to FanGraphs Kemp was a far below average fielder most of his career, despite his Gold Gloves.
Overall, Kemp had one of the best offensive stretches in Dodgers history and put together one of the most special seasons we have ever seen in 2011. We all remember 2011, the year he was screwed out of MVP honors. The season that Kemp slugged 39 home runs, stole 40 bases, drove in 126 runs, and batted .324.
Those are insane numbers, and they perfectly showcase the kind of player Kemp was for the Dodgers. It is a shame that his fielding did not fit the sabermetrics mold, or else he would be much higher on this list.
Fun fact: The Dodgers only played 161 games in 2011 due to a canceled game against the Nats. Kemp was 1 HR shy of becoming the fifth man to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases. If the game was never canceled, Kemp could have made history.