Dodgers: Ranking the Top 5 centerfielders in franchise history

3. Best Dodgers centerfielders: Matt Kemp

Matt Kemp was the best baseball player on planet Earth for exactly one season. However, we shouldn’t take the summation of his Dodger accomplishments for granted.

Kemp signed with the Dodgers after being drafted out of high school in 2003, despite being offered a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Oklahoma. He wouldn’t come to regret that decision, as he progressed through the minor leagues quickly and was up with the big club by 2006. After spending time at the corner outfield spots and providing solid production, Kemp made the move to center to replace an injured Andruw Jones (yikes) in 2008.

Kemp took the centerfield job and ran with it, and in 2009, finished 10th in MVP voting after hitting .297 with 101 RBI and narrowly missed going 30/30. He also took home both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards at his position.

Kemp took a step back in 2010, with his average falling to .249 and his stolen base and strikeout numbers both trended in the wrong direction. At this point in his career, it looked like Kemp was a solid if not unspectacular mainstay in the lineup, who offered plus speed and durability.

None of these statements would hold true following the 2011 season. Kemp’s 2011 season is arguably the best by a Dodger position player of all time. The Bison led the National League in runs, homers, RBI, OPS+, and total bases, not to mention hitting .324 and swiping 40 bags, as well as winning the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger once more. Sounds like an MVP season right? Alas, Kemp fell victim to one of the most egregious MVP snubs in all of sports, as the honor was bestowed upon Dodger nemesis and admitted PED user Ryan Braun.

Kemp predicted he would become baseball’s first 50/50 man the following year, but unfortunately his body disagreed. After playing 399 consecutive games, Kemp suffered a serious hamstring injury, which was immediately followed by another hamstring injury. Sadly this became par of the course, as hamstring, hip, ankle, and shoulder issues robbed Kemp of much of his natural ability.

Missed time, limited production, and a crowded outfield led to him being shipped off to San Diego in 2014. Not what the Dodgers had in mind after giving him an eight-year, $160 million extension following his historic 2011 campaign.

He played two years for the Padres and two in Atlanta with varying degrees of success before being traded back to the Dodgers prior to the 2018 season in a surprise move. Kemp wasn’t expected to stick with the team, but was a semi-regular player and even was named an All-Star starter and homered off Chris Sale in his first ever World Series at bat.

The Dodgers cut ties with him again in a salary dump move after 2018, and he’s bounced around a couple teams since then. It’ll be weird to see Kemp suit up for the rival Rockies this year, but I’ll be rooting for him. Over his ten years in LA, Kemp totaled 203 homers, 733 RBI, 170 steals, a .292 average, .842 OPS, and was named to three All-Star games.