Tony Kemp

Kemp was unable to carry forward his modest success from 2018 into the 2019 campaign. After hitting .263/.351/.392 the prior year, he managed just a .212/.291/.380 slash line on either side of a deadline-day trade to the Cubs. He also stole just four bases, down from nine the previous year, despite receiving only 16 fewer plate appearances. He could perhaps blame a .227 BABIP for some of his struggles, quite a low number given his speed, but a low BABIP is to be expected when you just don't hit the ball hard. Statcast gave Kemp an xBA of .207, the product of a 15.7% hard-hit rate, suggesting he got more or less exactly what he deserved. Kemp's ability to play both second base and all three outfield positions should keep him in his role as a spark plug off the bench following a January trade to the A's, but he's unlikely to do enough to help fantasy owners.

Kemp stepped up when the Astros needed him last season, providing an offensive spark to an injury-riddled lineup while playing all three outfield positions along with some time at the keystone. He began the season with Triple-A Fresno, earning a mid-May callup with a .335/.407/.435 slash line. Kemp remained with the Astros the rest of the season, appearing in 97 games with 294 trips to the dish. Sporting a meager .287 OBP in the majors before last season, Kemp got on base at a 35% clip in 2018. He took advantage with nine swipes in a dozen tries. While he can't play as many positions as Marwin Gonzalez did for Houston, Kemp's defensive flexibility should earn him a decent number of at-bats, though it will take an injury for him to see regular playing time. Kemp is a nice option in AL-only as he won't cost much and can provide some cheap speed with a smattering of pop.

In another universe, Kemp is probably gearing up for a shot at a regular role, but in this timeline he's merely a luxury for the talent-rich Astros. The 26-year-old has enjoyed a great deal of success in the minor leagues, posting wRC+ marks above 110 at every stop. His walk rate slid dramatically in his third go-around at Triple-A last season (to 6.3 percent), but he made up for it with a much-improved contact rate -- he struck out just 7.8 percent of the time -- and more power than ever before. He also reached 20 steals for the fourth time on the farm. Kemp once again failed to carry that success over to the highest level and in fact he struggled to a much greater extent than he did during his 2016 debut, but it's hard to read much of anything into that given how sporadic and limited his opportunities were. A trade would change Kemp's outlook considerably, but right now, he's a fifth outfielder.

A small, speedy second baseman in the Houston system is bound to draw comparisons to Jose Altuve. Let's be honest, that's unfair to both guys. It undersells just how excellent Altuve has been as a big leaguer and puts lofty expectations on Kemp based mostly on size. So, let's just focus on Kemp. He has posted a .304 average in the minors over 1,797 plate appearances, but more importantly a near 1.0 K/BB. His speed has been there in volume, but not efficiency -- 107 steals with a modest 70 percent success rate. His 20 percent strikeout rate was a lot (for him) in his MLB debut, but his six percent swinging strike rate suggests he was perhaps too passive while pitchers were attacking. This profile at peak might only hit .275, but with a .340-plus OBP which should offer ample opportunity to steal if he learns when to go. Unfortunately, he would need Altuve to suffer an injury in order to profile as more than a utility player if he remains with Houston.

Kemp is the type of player who often gets overlooked due to his size (5-foot-7, 165 pounds), but the Astros know more than any other organization that small second basemen can still be a factor at the big league level. With a profile that matches Jose Altuve nearly perfectly, the 24-year-old hit .308/.388/.386 in 121 games between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Fresno last season. With excellent plate discipline (169 walks to 179 strikeouts over three minor league seasons) and plus speed (35 steals last year), Kemp has advanced rapidly in the minors, but the Astros have a crowded infield and aren't in a rush to promote him to the bigs. Unless the team deals with injuries, he's likely to spend a full season at Triple-A Fresno.

In 72 games with High-A Lancaster, Kemp hit .336/.433/.468 with 19 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 37 RBI and 79 runs scored over 295 at-bats. His .433 OBP ranked first in the California League, which earned him a well-deserved promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi in late June. The 23-year-old second baseman was nearly as successful in the Texas League, hitting .292/.381/.425 in 59 games. What Kemp lacks in size (5-foot-6, 165 pounds) and power, he makes up for with plus speed (41 steals between the two levels) and an excellent batting eye (73 walks to 67 strikeouts). He's a prospect to keep an eye on in the Astros' system as he prepares for a likely promotion to Triple-A at some point in 2015.