Otto Kemp records first 4-hit game in Phillies' win over Blue Jays: "He's living his dream right now"

There’s zero doubt Otto Kemp has provided a spark in the Phillies’ lineup. The impact the rookie has made has been contagious in the clubhouse.One of the first to arrive in the ballpark, Kemp arrives eight hours before the game, per Nick Castellanos. The extra time spent is paying off not just for Kemp but his teammates as well.

“He’s got a lot of fire,” Castellanos said. “He’s living his dream right now, right? Fresh in the big leagues, a lot of energy … It’s just fun to watch.”

Kemp had his first four-hit game in the major leagues on Sunday, part of an 18-hit offensive outburst in an 11-4 Phillies win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished 4-for-5 to raise his average to .345 in his eight games with the Phillies. During the six-game home stand, Kemp hit .417 with five runs scored and four RBIs — all of which came in the last three games.

The Phillies had 10-plus hits in five of the six games during this home stand. That’s not a coincidence.

“He’s had great at-bats. He really has,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Whenever a guy comes up for the first time, it creates new energy in the clubhouse, because guys are excited for him.”

Kemp has done his part to solidify the bottom of the lineup. He’s hit .368 as the No. 8 hitter in the lineup and .455 leading off an inning. The Phillies have averaged .285 since Kemp was inserted into the lineup on June 7, top five in baseball.

“It’s nice to chip in where I can,” Kemp said. “Trying to be a table setter, really just doing what the game is asking me to do. That’s kinda been the mentality. Just see what the game is telling me to do on any given at-bat and try to execute, then pass it off to the next guy.”

Kemp has multiple three-hit games since coming up to the Phillies, accomplishing the feat in just eight games. He is the first Phillies player to have multiple games with 3-plus hits in the first eight games of a career since Art Mahan in 1940. Kemp also has four games with 4-plus hits this season (three in Triple-A Lehigh Valley and one with the Phillies), after having just one in his first three seasons of professional baseball combined.

“For me, it’s … I believe in my swing,” Kemp said. “I believe in what we created and it’s a result of that. It’s good to know I can trust myself and my swing. It will be what it needs to be at the end of the day.”

The Phillies have won five of their last six games in part due to Kemp’s infused energy. Kemp has been a welcome addition to an already good baseball team, while enjoying every moment of his time in Philadelphia.

Castellanos was right on point.

“This is what you dream of,” Kemp said. “This is what you play for.”