The Philadelphia Phillies' minor league affiliates have some interesting prospects to watch at each level. Perhaps the most stacked roster in the minor league system sits roughly 70 miles northwest of Citizen's Bank Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are loaded with players who could be called up to the big leagues in the event of an injury, and compelling prospects who are nearing their time in Philadelphia.
Justin Crawford, Garrett Stubbs, and Gabriel Rincones Jr. are some names that fans around the Delaware Valley may recognize. Otto Kemp is another key player on this Lehigh Valley club that has turned some heads of late.
Otto Kemp is turning into a surprising source of home run power for the Phillies in Triple-A
Kemp, a right-handed infielder from California, signed a minor league free agent deal with the Phillies in August 2022. In his first two seasons with the organization, Kemp didn't leave much of an impression.
The infielder hit just seven home runs in his first 125 games in the Phillies farm system. He also struck out 125 times in 424 at-bats. One area in which Kemp did seem to thrive was on the base paths.
Things changed a bit for Kemp in 2024 when he had his best season as a member of the organization. He slashed .285/.392/.489 with 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases across four minor league levels in 2024.
Perhaps the most important number there is the home run total that jumped drastically from earlier in his career. Kemp's power grade in his scouting report on MLB.com is considered below-average at 40.
The power didn't stop at the end of the Triple-A season last year. The Phillies' No. 28 ranked prospect smacked six home runs in the Arizona Fall League while appearing in 15 games. During spring training leading into the 2025 campaign, Kemp continued to impress with his bat. While the home runs didn't transpire, he hit a solid .350 in 20 at-bats.
Now that the minor league season is in full swing, Kemp has continued his productivity at Triple-A Lehigh Valley where, as of Sunday, the mainly corner infielder has compiled a .269/.361/.577 slash line. He has already smashed four home runs in 13 games, including a 110.8 mph shot that traveled 429 feet.
His most recent long ball came last Tuesday night, as he has hit three in a four-game span.
4th homer of the season for number 4!#ironpigs #ironpigsbaseball #ottokemp pic.twitter.com/7fDrpOFjZF
— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) April 9, 2025
Kemp may not be a top 10 prospect at this point — ranked No. 24 by MLB Pipeline — but he has certainly improved since joining the organization after going undrafted. If his bat can continue to produce at the minor league level, he could be in line for a call-up should someone on the current 26-man roster hit the injured list.
He's not currently on the 40-man roster so there may be other depth pieces ahead of Kemp at this point, but if his numbers are productive enough, perhaps he will force the hand of the front office. Regardless of his road to the Major Leagues, it is always a good thing to have productive depth in the farm system.