Jun 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Otto Kemp (4) is showered by teammates after the game against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Otto Kemp was fortunate that when he pulled into the players parking lot at Citizens Bank Park that he arrived at the same time as J.T. Realmuto.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have known where to go.
That's because Kemp had never been to the Phillies home stadium. It seems weird that as a player in the organization that he would never have taken the time to go to the ballpark to check it out, to see what could be. To dare to dream bigger.
Instead, he used the fact that he had never been to the ballpark as motivation to one day get there.
"I was just wandering around for the first 20 minutes," Kemp said. "People were ... like... what's this guy doing in this place? But I was just trying to enjoy it. Get a lay of the land. Just enjoy the day."
And that far off day that a California kid always dreamed of was Monday, and boy was it a memorable experience.
Kemp had three hits - his first in the majors, and a bunt single in the bottom of the 11th inning - his first bunt attempt in four years - to set up a dramatic, much-needed, 4-3 walk-off victory for the Phillies over the Chicago Cubs.
And you might be surprised as what was more special to him.
Credit: Kyle Ross, IMAGN Images
"Honestly, I'll probably go with that bunt," Kemp said. "Just to help the team win. It felt like a big situation and I was happy that I could just help move the runners over and give (Brandon Marsh) a chance to do what he did, so that was special.
"Obviously the first hit was awesome too - to get that one off my back and kind of start rolling here."
Marsh hit the walk-off single, and Kemp was so excited that he started to go towards Marsh to celebrate before he was told he actually needed to touch second base. Kemp got to the bag and then made the mad dash for Marsh.
Was it Marsh who told him to be sure to touch second?
"No, it must have been someone else because I blacked out," Marsh said.
Blacked out? Why?
"Because I had never had a walk-off hit before."
It was actually first base coach Paco Figueroa who got Kemp to get to second, but it was indicative of a lot of good mojo that was happening for the Phillies, who got four bunts down in the game and collected 16 hits.
It wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, though. Three of those hits were immediately erased by baserunning gaffes. Three more were wiped out by double play ground outs.
It was definitely a little tense, but after the game there was a celebration. There was water being dumped over Kemp's head. Heck, the fog machine got turned on in the clubhouse for the first time in forever.
Bryson Stott and Kyle Schwarber just gave Otto Kemp the Daycare Treatment!
Are the Phillies about to start having fun again? pic.twitter.com/QcoRIVIpse
All that aside, it was a dream come true for Kemp, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 2022 out of a Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
He has kept his head down, kept working and improving - and impressing the Phillies at every step of the way, specifically with his bat.
His first hit was a line drive single to left field off Cubs lefty Matt Boyd.
First Major League hit for Otto Kemp! pic.twitter.com/7iEErsgLyI
He then had an adventurous trip around the bases, advancing to third after an errant pick off attempt by Boyd carried down the right field line. He would score on a bloop single by Weston Wilson.
His second hit, in the ninth inning, was on a swinging bunt that went all of about 15 feet, but it had some English on it, and the side spin fooled Cubs catcher Carson Kelly enough for Kemp to beat the throw down the line.
Cubs manager Craig Counsel tried to argue that Kemp was out of the baseline and ultimately got ejected because of it.
Then in the 11th, with the score tied 2-2 after Realmuto singled home the ghost runner, Nick Castellanos, and Bryson Stott beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt of his own, Kemp came to the plate and was asked to move the runners over.
Manager Rob Thomson said he asked Kemp about bunting in Pittsburgh and Kemp told him he could do it if needed.
"We talked about it because there was the potential for a situation (in Pittsburgh) but it didn't come up," Thomson said.
But when it came up Monday, Kemp was game for it, even though he hadn't truly attempted one in, well, awhile.
Otto Kemp told @ACPressMcGarry that the last time he bunted in a game before tonight was in summer ball in 2021, and he popped that straight up to the catcher. 😂 pic.twitter.com/cXmasjH9mN
"It was summer ball in St. Cloud, Minnesota in 2021 and I popped it up straight to the catcher," Kemp said.
Wait, did he tell Thomson that when they talked about bunting in Pittsburgh?
"I don't think he knows about that," Kemp said. "But, we executed tonight and hopefully that's just some more trust that we can do it going forward."
Mick Abel, who has been a teammate of Kemp's for a couple years couldn't remember Kemp ever bunting in the minors, but thought nothing of it when he knew the bunt was on.
"He can do anything," Abel said. "Nothing he does surprises me."
Kemp was especially excited about getting the bunt down because of who was in attendance at the game. His dad and his wife were there, but they got to see him play in Pittsburgh as well. He had three of his baseball-playing buddies who were there, and that was cool. But the special guest attendee was Justin James, the Point Loma Nazarene coach who brought his daughter and one of his friends out to see Kemp.
"It was cool to execute that bunt and get it down so I can thank him for raising me in a west coast baseball program," Kemp said, pointing out that bunting practice is a big part of California collegiate baseball. "He's stoked. He was just so fired up to see me in that moment and out on that field. I think it's just really cool for him to see one of his products - and he helped me get to this point."
Kemp got to share the experience with his family, friends and former coach on the field after the game. The same field he refused to visit until he was actually a big leaguer.
"It was unbelievable the energy I felt today," Kemp said. "The support from all the fans, the buzz, is crazy. That was another reason why I didn't want to experience it before my first (time in the Big Leagues). It was just awesome. I'm so excited to be a Phillie."
And after this game, the rest of the city is excited for him to be a Phillie as well.
