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Padres prospect Kannon Kemp's AFL breakthrough makes patience crucial for 2027

There is hope after all.
ByPJ Potter
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Jun 17, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; A detail view of a San Diego Padres hat on a glove in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 17, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; A detail view of a San Diego Padres hat on a glove in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

There's a long list of things that the San Diego Padres need to do this offseason. President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller definitely has his work cut out, but one overlooked thing he should do goes against every fiber of his being: Patience.

San Diego's No. 13 prospect Kannon Kemp has not been great, nor has he been healthy. An eighth round draft pick in 2023, he missed all of 2024 (shoulder surgery) and an oblique injury kept him off the mound until mid-June this season.

And upon his return, Kemp struggled. Between rookie ball and High-A Fort Wayne, the 22-year-old sported a 6.28 ERA in 38.2 innings. Opponents hit .321 against him. It wasn't pretty.

Kemp is someone who Preller would typically try to trade. He's a 6-foot-5 (some publications have listed at 6-foot-6) hard-throwing right-hander, and plenty of teams would take a risk on that type of prospect. But maybe, Preller should offer Kemp some grace and try to develop him within the organization.

In the Arizona Fall League, Kemp is showing the Padres why they should keep him around.

With an aging Padres starting rotation, developing talent internally might be the smart move for A.J. Preller

How many current starting pitchers can the Padres trust? How many of them are under contract long-term? How many of them are well-over 30 years old? San Diego is on the cusp of having a starting pitching problem. A potential solution to all of those questions is to develop starting pitching internally.

Kemp is a perfect candidate for that. In his first four innings in the AFL, Kemp has yet to allow a hit, all while striking out five batters. His fastball is a few ticks under hitting 100 MPH, too. So, Kemp is learning to hone in on his command. That is a major step forward. His velocity tells us that his shoulder and oblique issues may be a thing of the past.

Right now, even if briefly, Kemp's stock is trending upward. It should be enough for the organization to take a step back and consider whether he is a lost cause or not. If Kemp continues to get better, the Padres will need him in the big leagues sooner than later.

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