MLB Fantasy Baseball Profile: Can Matt Kemp Rebound From His Summer Swoon?
Matt Kemp started the 2010 season like most expected, hitting .285 with 42 runs, 10 home runs, 30 RBI and seven stolen bases. That’s what a player drafted in the first round does.
Unfortunately for Kemp owners, as the weather warmed, his bat cooled, and those owners who enjoyed his hot start were in for a rude awakening. Kemp hit just .230 from June on with 40 runs, 18 HRs, 59 RBI and 12 SBs.
His torrid start had his overall numbers, aside for average, fairly impressive. He hit just .249, but scored 82 runs with 28 HRs, 89 RBI and 19 SBs. So are his declining numbers a cause for concern?
I say no. Kemp is just 26-years-old. If anyone is going to bounce back from a down year it’s him. He averaged 95 runs, 22 HRs, 88.5 RBI and 34.5 SBs in 2008 and 2009. He was a first round pick in most fantasy drafts for a reason.
While I wouldn’t draft him in the first round this year, mainly because you don’t have to as he has an ADP of 24 according to Mock Draft Central, I wouldn’t shy against snagging him in the second round.
He’s a five-category producer. I expect his average to return to .280 or better. I expect his run total to jump into the 90s. While I don’t expect much movement out of his HR total, I do anticipate more RBI and stolen bases. Perhaps next year he’ll return to the first round of fantasy drafts.
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