Matt Kemp

2013

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2012

Kemp may have lost out on the MVP to Ryan Braun, but he also netted himself an eight-year, $160 million contract despite the Dodgers' financial concerns. Kemp batted .324/.399/.596 with 39 home runs and 40 stolen bases while at the same time increasing his walk rate from eight percent to 11 percent of plate appearances. Kemp appears focused and ready to make a run at 40/40 this year. He's a clear top-three fantasy pick in most formats, as we can't say with certainty that we've seen his best.

2011

Other than power, there wasn't a facet of Kemp's game that did not regress in 2010 - poor defense, less success on the basepaths (19-for-34 in stolen base attempts), more strikeouts and a loss of 48 points of batting average. On the plus side, the tools are still there and Kemp will be entering his age 26 season. With his skill set and upside, Kemp could actually be a good buy-low guy in the early rounds of 2011 drafts.

2010

Kemp finished 10th in the NL MVP race, batting .297/.352/.490 with 26 home runs, 101 RBI and 34 stolen bases. He also won a Gold Glove for his work in center field, and at 25, it's likely there's more to come. A 30/30 season is well within reach this year, and after batting just .224 after August 31, improvement down the stretch would likely result in a .300-plus batting average. Kemp will likely find himself among the top three fantasy outfielders in this year's drafts.

2009

The projected breakout didn't come, but Kemp acquitted himself well in his first full season, batting .290/.340/.459 with 18 home runs, 76 RBI, and 35 stolen bases. The steals and massive upside leave Kemp as a borderline top-20 fantasy outfielder headed into 2009, though to truly fulfill his potential however, Kemp will have to improve his contact rate (153 strikeouts). At this point, consider the risk of Kemp losing at-bats to Juan Pierre and/or Andruw Jones to be minimal.

2008

After getting 154 at-bats in his first big league trial the year prior, Kemp came into his own in 2007, batting .342/.373/.521 in 292 at-bats. Kemp's skill set is impressive and his ceiling seemingly unlimited, leading some to predict he could be the organization's best offensive prospect since Mike Piazza. Of some concern is Kemp's plate discipline (16:66 BB:K in 2007), though he should be able to improve there with more experience. It is possible that the Dodgers' outfield situation will be crowded again in 2008, but it's difficult to imagine anything other than a full-time job for Kemp. There's the potential here for 30 homers and 20 stolen bases as early as this year.

2007

Kemp's overall tool set has earned lofty (and unfair) comparisons to the likes of Dave Winfield and Manny Ramirez, and he was well on his way for the Dodgers last year, hitting seven homers in his first 17 games since being promoted from Double-A. Then reality set in and Kemp hit just .177 in 62 at-bats after June 30. Kemp had some difficulties with breaking pitches and though he seemed to remedy that in Triple-A, hitting .368/.428/.560, the team signed Luis Gonzalez to a one-year deal, allowing Kemp to get further seasoning. Expect him to spend at least half a year in Triple-A unless the big league club suffers injuries.

2006

The 21 year-old Kemp is currently the team's best outfield prospect after a breakout 2005 in High-A. The 6'4", 210 lb. Kemp hit .306 with 27 HRs and a .918 OPS. He drew just 25 walks in over 450 plate appearances, so he's still a bit raw. Look for Kemp sometime in 2007.