Los Angeles Dodgers Matt Kemp spent most the MLB offseason recovering and rehabbing from ankle and knee surgeries to repair a microfracture of his left ankle and injury to his left shoulder. The last few seasons have been tough on Kemp, but after a monster June, he seems to be back to MVP caliber form.
Kemp batted .317 in June with three homers, two triples, eight doubles, and 16 RBI. Now his season average is up to .259 with eight home runs and 31 RBI with a .433 slugging percentage.
His hot streak at the plate has helped the Dodgers jump ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West by half a game. The Giants had a pretty big lead entering June, but with their recent struggles and the Dodgers playing how they were expected to, there is now a tight race in that division.
The Dodgers outfielder was well on his way to being one of the best players and biggest names in the league after a breakout 2011 season that helped him finish second in NL MVP voting. During that season, Kemp hit .324 with 39 homeruns, and 126 RBI while also stealing 40 bases; just one homerun shy of a 40/40 season. Since then, he’s had trouble staying healthy during the grueling 162 game MLB season.
2013 was the worst season for Kemp, playing in only 73 games and hitting .270 with six homeruns and 33 RBI.
Kemp has also had to compete for some playing time, as the Dodgers have an abundance of productive outfielders in phenom Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, and Carl Crawford. Now he has revived his career and is showing why he nearly won the MVP honor in 2011.
Even before he was swinging a hot bat, teams around the league pursued him via trade, and with his recent performance at the plate, the trade rumors are really heating up.
This is Kemp’s ninth season in the bigs, and he’s put up some impressive numbers over the years. When healthy he is one of the best in the game both offensively and defensively, but unfortunately for Kemp and the Dodgers, injuries have been a catalyst.
This is the time of the season where the contenders shine and LA needs a productive Matt Kemp in order to do so. The 29-year-old outfielder is well on his way to returning to MVP form, and could play a huge role in getting the Dodgers not only to the postseason, but the World Series for the first time since 1988.
The talent and potential has always been there, it was just a matter of health.