At a Glance
- Otto Kemp rose from a Division II program to the majors in just two years.
- He debuted for the Philadelphia Phillies on June 7, 2025 after a rapid climb through the minors.
- Despite knee and shoulder injuries, he posted a .858 OPS in his final 16 games of 2025.
Why it matters: Kemp’s path shows that talent can bypass draft odds, reshaping how teams view undrafted prospects.
The Phillies’ newest star, Otto Kemp, went from a small Division II school to a Major-League debut in a record-fast time. His journey-highlighted by a .500 start in Single-A and a 2025 call-up on June 7-illustrates how a player can defy expectations even after serious injuries.
From Division II to the Draft
He attended Point Loma Nazarene University, a Division II program, where over 121 collegiate games he hit .356, hit 33 home runs and posted a 1.124 OPS. In 2022, he reached base in all 61 games. Yet when the MLB Draft was shortened to 20 rounds in 2020, his name never surfaced.
Rapid Minor-League Rise
After signing a minor-league contract, Kemp played primarily second and third base. In 2024, he opened at Single-A, hit .500 over five games, and earned a promotion. At High-A Jersey Shore, he posted a .973 OPS, which led to a move to Double-A Reading where he hit 11 home runs with an .829 OPS in 64 games. He finished the year at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and then excelled in the Arizona Fall League, hitting six home runs, slugging .733, and posting a 1.193 OPS against top competition.
MLB Debut and Setbacks
Kemp was called up on June 7, 2025. He played first base, second base, third base and left field. On June 17 he fouled a ball off his kneecap, chipping the bone, and also dealt with a left shoulder issue. “I was pretty banged up,” said Kemp. “I had to get two procedures done, one on my knee, one on my shoulder… They removed a bone fragment from my knee… I was able to grind it through.”
He was optioned back to Lehigh Valley in mid-August after posting a .657 OPS over his first 46 big-league games and 161 plate appearances. In his next 16 Triple-A contests he reached base safely in 13, had five multi-hit games, and earned another call back.
2025 Season Highlights
In his final 16 regular-season games he posted a .858 OPS, collected eight extra-base hits and hit four home runs-three on the first pitch. That stretch included a start in left field during the National League Division Series, a position he had only begun playing consistently last season.
“I’ve spent some time together after the season ended and just look back at it,” said Kemp. “The relationships, the places we got to go, all the stuff we got to experience – it was really special to go through that with my wife.”
Future Outlook
At season’s end, Dave Dombrowski said, “I think Otto has a chance to be an everyday player. That ball jumps off his bat. We really like him. We like his makeup. He can play a couple different positions.” Rob Thomson suggested he could factor into a platoon, possibly alongside Brandon Marsh in left field, especially given Kemp’s .786 OPS against left-handed pitching at the big-league level. Defense remains a focus as he enters his first full season in Philadelphia.
Kemp noted, “I think it’s overall comfort. Every place you play, the dimensions are different… just learning how to play through that is the biggest part moving forward.” Thomson added, “He’s just so tough… He can put all that pain and little dings behind him and go out and play.”
Kemp’s path is rare. Only nine players-including former Phillies All-Star Ricky Bottalico-have attended a Division II school, gone undrafted and appeared in a Major-League game. “There’s a lot of people that don’t stick,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m trying to prove I can be one of those guys that can get established up here.”
For the Phillies, belief is already there. It’s about what Kemp does with it.
