Padres Matt Kemp Swooning in May After Hot April

The Padres saw a rejuvenated Matt Kemp to start the season in April as he bolted out of the gate to lead the clubs offense with 7 home runs and 19 RBI and hit .283. He has come back to earth with a dreadful May and it is hurting the Padres.

The Padres were pleasantly surprised and historically Kemp has been a second half player. However his current May average of .159 is the lowest average of any month he has had since 2007, so he not only dipped he dipped the lowest he ever has.

More from Padres News

• Jurickson Profar free agency update likely rules out Padres reunion
• Fernando Tatis Jr. may not take to outfield move after Xander Bogaerts addition
• Padres News: Fernando Tatis Jr. trade rumors, Seth Lugo chase, Manny Machado
• Padres barely missed out on high-end veteran starting pitcher
• This veteran DH target seems ideal for contending Padres roster

One nice difference from his horrible May of 2015 is that at least he had a good April this season to help buoy the drop off. Last year he had a terrific second half to post respectable lines across the board including finishing with 100 RBI, the first Padres outfielder outfielder to do so since 1998.

The Padres pitching has pitched well above expectations despite several key injuries, and while there have been some bright spots offensively as the calendar nears June some of the early shining stars are waning.

Wil Myers had a great April, hitting .302 with 5 HR. He has plummeted down to just .218 and 2 HR in May. Melvin Upton Jr.seems to be picking things up with an even better May and intent on showing the Padres he can be the clutch middle of the order guy that B.J. used to be.

Next: Padres Walk Off Against Dodgers

Yangervis Solarte has returned from the Disabled List, but it is key to the Padres season that Matt Kemp be Matt Kemp. The month is nearly over and of course facing these San Francisco Giants pitchers doesn’t help things. They were able to avoid Clayton Kershaw against LA last time around though and head to the desert in Arizona next.

If Matt Kemp can have a good June and head into the All Star Break with around 15 home runs and hitting .260, there is hope that he can have another good second half and have one of the best offensive seasons we hav seen from a Padres outfielder in some time. The good news is May is over in a week.