'Completely surreal': Phils prospect Kemp makes MLB debut after late-night callup

PITTSBURGH -- When Otto Kemp got a knock on his hotel door at 11 p.m. on Friday night, he opened it to find a trio of Lehigh Valley coaches on the other side.

That's when IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras -- alongside bench coach Chris Adamson and hitting coach Adam Lind -- informed Kemp he was headed to the Majors.

"I kind of knew something was going on," said Kemp, the Phillies' No. 24 prospect. "You don't get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason."

Kemp eventually retreated to his room where his wife, Lily, was waiting to congratulate him -- but the celebration didn't last too long. After all, Kemp had to pack before his 7 a.m. flight to join the Phillies in Pittsburgh, where he made his MLB debut in Saturday afternoon’s 2-1 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park.

Lily, meanwhile, had to get ready to make the early-morning drive from Charlotte, N.C., because the couple travels with their 2-year-old golden retriever, Beau. (“My dog was actually the first one to greet them all,” Kemp said of the late-night visit from his coaches.)

But first, Kemp had a phone call to make to his parents out in California.

"I called them, and within 30 minutes, they were calling back like, 'We're getting on a flight in three hours,'" Kemp said. "I knew they would do everything they could to be out here. They've been the biggest supporters of me for my whole life."

Rob and Diane Kemp indeed started looking for flights the moment Otto called.

"Dang, the only option is a red eye to get out there before the game starts," Diane recalled as she watched her son take a big league field for the first time. "So, that's what we did."

That lone option involved driving approximately an hour to the Los Angeles airport to board an overnight flight to Minneapolis. After a short layover, they flew to Pittsburgh, where they ultimately made it to PNC Park just a couple hours before the game.

While Rob and Diane were busy flying across the county, Lily was making the nearly seven-hour drive up the East Coast on little, if any, sleep.

"I only stopped once at a 7-11 to get some coffee, and I just sat in the car with my dog for a minute and I was like, 'Holy [cow], this is happening,'" Lily said. "I'm just so proud of him."

Kemp hasn't had that opportunity just yet.

"I haven't had a ton of time to really sit down and think about it," Kemp said. "I think that'll come a little bit later."

It's only fitting that Kemp's debut came in whirlwind fashion, given what the last few years have been like.

Undrafted out of Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in 2022, Kemp's professional career almost never got off the ground. But then, the Phillies called and brought him aboard on a Minor League deal.

He played well enough in his first full pro season in 2023 to finish the year at High-A Jersey Shore. By the end of 2024, Kemp had progressed to Triple-A Lehigh Valley -- and earned an invite to the Arizona Fall League.

That was a goal for Kemp, who specifically planned his wedding for a date that wouldn't conflict with the AFL -- but then that season started a week later than he expected.

Kemp ultimately left the AFL a bit early to make his wedding, but not before impressing Phillies brass. He continued to do that this year, slashing .313/.416/.594 (1.010 OPS) with 14 home runs, 55 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 58 games with Lehigh Valley.

"He's had a great year," manager Rob Thomson said. "I saw him in the [Arizona] Fall League and his at-bats in the Fall League were tremendous as well. … I'm really happy for him."

Following the wedding, Kemp popped another question to Lily.

"He was like, 'Hey, do you want to do this baseball thing with me?'" Lily said. "And I just feel like you've got to jump all in or you're out. You can't dip your toe in the pond, you've got to jump with both feet.

“And I'm obsessed with him, so it was easy."

It was then that Lily left her job so that she could travel with Kemp as he pursued his dream. That's what allowed her to be there Friday night when Kemp received the life-changing news.

"Surreal," she said. "Completely surreal."

Kemp's dad, Rob, shared a similar sentiment moments after watching from behind the first-base dugout as his son made a charging play on an Alexander Canario ground ball to record his first career big league putout.

"It's so surreal," Rob said. "It's amazing just to be here. Crazy surreal, and just super excited we got to be here for his debut.”

It’s a moment that seemed farther away than ever at this time three years ago -- but imminent for the past few weeks.

"I try to do my best to just live in the moment and be where I am on that given day,” Otto said. “So I was trying not to give a ton of thought as to when it was going to be and just kind of let it happen.

“I know it always comes when you don't expect it."