Matt Kemp says MLB’s best outfield is ‘right here in San Diego’
Matt Kemp has never lacked confidence. Now in San Diego as part of the Padres’ major roster overhaul, his charm and bluster have certainly not gone anywhere.
Preparing to play in an outfield next to fellow offseason additions Justin Upton and Wil Myers, Kemp think his group deserves to be in the conversation for MLB’s best outfields. In fact, according to MLB.com‘s Lyle Spencer, Kemp is putting himself, Upton, and Myers right at the top of the list:
“Who,” [Kemp] said, “do you think has the best outfield in the game now?”
The visitor gave it some thought before nominating the American League champion Royals for defensive purposes and the Pirates or Marlins for all-around excellence.
Kemp shook his head. “No,” he said, firmly. “It’s right here. Right here in San Diego. You can write it down — and print it.”
You have to admire Kemp’s conviction, but that statement is sure to ignite some debate.
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In a recent column for ESPN.com, Buster Olney ranked the Padres group as the ninth best outfield in baseball. Miami, Pittsburgh, and Washington made up Olney’s top three.
There’s no disputing the San Diego trio’s offensive potential. Kemp and Upton have MVP-caliber seasons in their pasts while Myers is just a season removed from being the AL Rookie of the Year.
The issues, and reason for skepticism, are in the field. By most statistical measures Kemp, Upton, and Myers aren’t very good defensive players and there isn’t natural center fielder among them. Kemp used to play there but he’s been moved to a corner position due to a number of injuries slowing him down. Myers is currently listed as the starter in center on the Padres’ website.
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So is the game’s best overall outfield in San Diego? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean Kemp, Upton, and Myers aren’t going to have a significant impact on the Padres’ push to finish ahead of the Giants and Dodgers in the NL West.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
