Sorry Pujols, But Matt Kemp is the New King of the MLB

*Disclaimer: I don’t pay attention to all those Sabermetrics stats. Baseball is played and viewed on the field, we don’t need computers to tell us who is good, we can find out that on our own. So if some crazy formula says something different than me, my apologies. Thanks!

For the past decade, Albert Pujols has been the best player in baseball. His stretch of consecutive .330/30/100 was incredible and may never be duplicated. He’s a 9 time all-star and a 3 time National League MVP award winner. When it comes to track record there is no one better in the league right now.

However, there is a player now that has taken the crown from Pujols, and his name is Matt Kemp.

Over the past two years, Matt Kemp has exploded onto the scene as a 5-tool superstar. A 5-tool player is a player who:

1.     Hits for average
2.      Hits for power 
3.      Has good speed 
4.      Has good arm strength
5.     Has good fielder

Kemp has established himself as the best all-around player in the league, taking the title from Pujols.

Kemp’s last season was one for the ages as he was one homerun shy of joining the elusive 40/40 club, exclusively for only the elite 5-tool players to ever play the game. In most seasons he would have run away with the MVP but he ran into a fellow 5-tool superstar in Ryan Braun and finished 

second in the final voting.

Kemp has always been a talented player since arriving to the league, but he was not always their mentally. Coaches frequently became frustrated with his lack of effort at times, just relying on his raw talent rather than putting in the effort needed to perfect the craft. Then came the relationship with Rihanna, the last possible thing that a person who has had problems with keeping focus needs. After a length of time the two separated, and Kemp’s career took off.

Last year, focused and ready to play, Kemp put up numbers that you might not see in video games. He hit .324 with 39 homeruns, 126 runs batted in, and 40 stolen bases. He also scored 115 runs, showing that he’s more than just an RBI machine; he gives the rest of the lineup someone to drive in as well. As stated before, those are easily MVP numbers in any other season. He was handsomely rewarded this offseason for his efforts with an 8 year $160 million contract keeping his in Chavez Ravine for the foreseeable future.

Going into this season, based off of the success of last season and his confidence, Kemp said that he wanted to start his own club. He wants to be the inaugural player in the 50/50 club. So far the 50 homeruns may just be a stepping stone, as he has belted 9 in the first 17 games of the season. Kemp also will be in contention for the Triple Crown due to his .460 AVG and his 22 RBI.

Now to explain why he is better than Albert right now. No disrespect to Albert, a future HOF and arguably one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, but Kemp right now is a much better player.

Based on the 5-tool approach from above, you could say that the average and power categories are a push, maybe Kemp has a slight advantage on power. That’s where the similarities end.

          

      1)  Kemp is far and away a faster and better runner than Pujols. Kemp puts up the same offensive numbers as Pujols, but he also disrupts games when he’s on the bases. Pujols can steal bases, due to his exceptional base running skills and knowledge of the game, but Kemp collects them. He makes the pitcher think about him constantly and that forces him to press and causes mistake pitches that Andre Ethier and the rest of the Dodgers lineup can take advantage of.

      

      2)      This is one is where Kemp gets an obvious nod, almost needing no explanation. He plays center field so he actually gets to use his arm, while Pujols is at first where throws are not as needed. That brings me to the next topic……

      

      3)      Kemp is worlds above Pujols in terms of defense. Both are great at their respective position, but Kemp play a much more difficult position. The amount of ground needed to be covered is much larger in center, which Kemp covers effortlessly. Pujols has won many gold gloves, but Kemp is going to win one just about every year from here on out barring injury. His range allows him to get to any ball in center which helps save many hits and runs for his pitchers.

Pujols is great; a legend who is making himself an obvious case for Cooperstown, but Kemp is the superstar of the MLB right now. We haven’t seen a talent like him since Alex Rodriguez in his younger days, a player who literally can do it all. Right now we’re watching a player who could end up also in Cooperstown in Kemp. As long as he continues the focus that he has, it won’t be a matter of if but rather when he will get in.