Otto Kemp and others stepping up at the right time for the Phillies
Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Otto Kemp (4) reacts next to Kansas City Royals second base Jonathan India (6) after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Phillies’ depth has been rigorously tested through the injuries the team has faced during the 2nd half of the season, the losses of Alec Bohm and Trea Turner to the injured list being the most recent.
Despite this, the Phillies have barely skipped a beat — one of the biggest reasons why is the 26-year-old rookie Otto Kemp.
Kemp is in the middle of his 2nd big league stint of the season, where he has helped replicate the production of a missing Bohm.
Since being called back up, Kemp is hitting .421, including a 5-game hitting streak that was broken Sunday. He’s brought some power to the majors with him as he’s blasted 2 home runs and driven in 7 RBIs in just 6 games. He was pivotal in the Phillies’ 4-game sweep of the Mets, totaling 5 hits and 5 RBIs throughout the series.
Bryson Stott has also been a huge part of the Phillies’ offense over the last week. Since the Mets series, he’s hitting .388 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. Not to mention his Gold Glove-caliber defense.
All of these players have played a huge role in the Phillies not only separating themselves from the Mets but closing the gap with the Brewers for the chance to be the number 1 seed in the NL. Since losing Turner, who’s been one of the best players in baseball this season, the Phillies have a 5-1 record. Their offense is averaging 6.5 runs per game in that stretch, one of the best marks in baseball.
It hasn’t just been the offense that has stepped up in light of injuries. Since Zack Wheeler‘s injury, we’ve seen excellence from a pair of lefties in the rotation.
Cristopher Sanchez‘s season-long excellence has carried into the 2nd half. In his last 5 starts, Sanchez has an ERA of 3.13 and 35 strikeouts. It’s also worth noting that those numbers are inflated by a bad start against the Mets at Citi Field. Sanchez, being at his best, will be pivotal to the Phillies’ postseason success as he will be thrust into the #1 role for the playoffs with Wheeler’s season over.
First year Phillie Jesus Luzardo has also stepped up his game in his last 5 starts. Luzardo’s best is coming at the right time as he battles to potentially be in the playoff rotation. He’s got a 3.23 ERA with 42 strikeouts in that stretch. Similar to Sanchez, his numbers are also inflated by a bad inning against the Mets, which ended up being an excellent outing.
We saw last season what can happen if the Phillies go into the playoffs cold. It is a wildly encouraging sign to see the Phillies playing some of their best baseball late in the season. It is even more encouraging when you factor in that they are missing 3 of their best players while doing so. Unfortunately, Wheeler won’t be coming back, but Bohm and Turner are both expected to be back in time for the playoffs.
On paper, this is arguably the best the Phillies have looked late in the season during this window of title contention.
Ethan Whitney
Ethan is a writer for Philly Sports Reports and a Color Commentator for Rally Sports Network. He has been a massive fan of all Philly Sports for as long as he can remember and wants to share that passion with the world. He is looking for a long career in the sports media sphere.
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