Otto Kemp is having a 2025 to remember. The Philadelphia Phillies' rookie infielder made his MLB debut last weekend in what is truly an underdog story. MLB Pipeline's 24th-ranked prospect in the Phillies' system remarkably reached the majors after signing with the Phillies as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Kemp's scorching-hot offensive numbers at Triple-A Lehigh Valleyput the organization in a sticky situation that was resolved when Bryce Harper was lost to injury, although Harper's return may lead to Kemp's demise with the team.
Otto Kemp will play mostly first base for the Phillies until Bryce Harper returns from the IL
Just a handful of days after returning to the Phillies' lineup after being hit on the elbow by Spencer Strider, Harper was placed on the IL with a right wrist injury, opening the window for Kemp to join the big league club. Alec Bohm got the majority of starts at first base in the absence of Harper, until Kemp started there in Wednesday's series finale against the Chicago Cubs. This will be the expectation moving forward, as reported by The Athletic's Matt Gelb.
The plan is for Otto Kemp to play mostly first base moving forward. Phillies want Alec Bohm back at third base. Kemp went through Bobby Dickerson Camp this week.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 11, 2025
The Harper situation is concerning for the Phillies for a number of reasons. Of course, he's a superstar and the leader of the franchise, so the team is worse off without him, as evidenced by their 3-8 record without Harper this season. Even worse, this is the same wrist that bothered Harper for most of last season, and there's currently no timetable for his return in what has become a murky situation for the Phillies.
Kemp has played just 18 career games at first base in the minors, as opposed to 212 at third base. It makes sense for Kemp to be at least the backup first baseman behind Bohm, but it's interesting that Rob Thomson and company are rolling with Kemp as the primary guy at first. Prior to Kemp's arrival in Philly, Weston Wilson was the backup first baseman, which is less than ideal both offensively and defensively.
In order to stay put in the major leagues, Kemp must be able to prove his bat is MLB-worthy. It's pretty unrealistic to expect Kemp to replicate his .313/.416/.594 slashline at Triple-A, and the reality is that he just has to perform better than Wilson. It shouldn't be hard, given Wilson's slash of .171/.293/.257 and below-average defense in left field, which is where Kemp started playing a little at Lehigh Valley in preparation for the majors.