Draft Day of 2022 was not the best day for IronPigs infielder Otto Kemp. He played his college ball at Point Loma Nazareth, a Division 2 school in the PAC West, and hit .327 or higher in all four seasons, had an on-base percentage of .393 or higher – including a ridiculous .526 in his junior season – and hit 27 home runs over his junior and senior seasons combined. There had been some scouts sniffing around, including from the Phillies, but as the draft dragged on, his name was never called.

“It was not a fun two days,” said Kemp of the ’22 Draft. “There were a couple teams that said they were going to draft me later on day three, but none of those teams ever pulled through.”

Four days after the draft, the Phillies called Kemp’s agent and offered a contract. Kemp’s agent told the Phillies that they were “good to go,” and Kemp was off to Clearwater.

Many undrafted free agents never get that call from a team or struggle to work their way through the minors. Kemp has had a different experience and has moved at a good pace and reached Triple-A last September. Kemp opened last season on the IL and then went on a rehab stint with Clearwater before moving up to High-A Jersey Shore in late April. In July, Kemp was moved to Double-A and finished the year with Lehigh Valley. For 2025, the Phillies placed him with the IronPigs to open the season and he found himself in the Opening Day lineup, batting leadoff and playing third base.

“I’ve worked hard to get to this point. At the end of the day, it’s just about learning at every single level you’re at and trying to be the one that excels there,” said Kemp. “I’ve just tried to keep learning through the whole thing and try to take it all in. I just keep trying to see how I can improve my game at every single level.”

In Spring Training, Kemp got some time in big league camp and took the same approach there, trying to soak up as much as he could watching the major league players go through their daily routines.

“It’s cool to learn from guys and just kind of sit back and watch some of the things they do for sure. Sometimes, I would be between drills and see Bryce Harper was taking groundballs at first base and would watch him for a few minutes to see what I could pick up,” Kemp said.

Much of Kemp’s time in the minors has been spent at third base where he has played 176 games at second base, compared to 61 games at second base. The 25-year-old has played sparingly at shortstop and in right field in his career, but is willing to try anything to make himself more valuable.

“It takes some time to get used to playing positions that you have never played before. The fall league was really helpful because I got to bounce around a lot and built a daily routine to figure out that if I am going to be bouncing around, what do I need to do to stay ready,” said Kemp about the unpredictability of where he will be playing on any given day.

Kemp knows that he is not next in line to be called up to the majors and isn’t concerned about the timeline. Like most players, Kemp focuses just on what he can control and not worry about what happens around him.