RADIO
The days of Matt Kemp vying for MVP awards are over, but the San Diego Padres right fielder quietly put together a solid debut season in Southern California. His 23 home runs were second on the team, while his 100 RBIs ranked first (and 13th in the majors). Kemp also stole 12 bases, making him the only outfielder with at least 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 10 steals. Not too shabby for a 31-year-old whose best days were thought to be behind him.
Kemp hit just .265 last season, his worst average since 2010. Of course, Petco Park is a notorious pitchers' park and San Diego finished dead last in the majors for team batting average (.243). He actually finished second only to Yangervis Solarte (.270) among San Diego's qualified hitters last season. The question now is, can Kemp repeat this kind of production? With the departure of Justin Upton, Kemp stands as the Padres' most formidable hitter. He'll consistently bat in the middle of the order and should see a bump in walks, even if his RBIs dip. Kemp offers solid value as a low-end OF2 or high-end OF3.
