Kannon Kemp Stats & Scouting Report

IP	3.0
ERA	3.00
WHIP	2.330
BB/9	9.0
SO/9	15.0

Full name Kannon Kemp
Born 09/03/2004 in
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Middletown
Drafted in the 8th round (251st overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2023 (signed for $625,000).

View Draft Report

School: Weatherford (Texas) HS Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Oklahoma
Age At Draft: 18.9
Kemp is a large and physical 6-foot-6, 225-pound righthander with lots of length in his limbs, but a surprisingly short and compact arm action despite that. He never fully extends his arm throughout his takeback, instead keeping it cocked and close to his body, before firing to the plate with a three-quarter slot and plenty of arm speed. He has mostly pitched in the 89-92 mph range this spring but he did touch 93-94 a few times in a fall outing in 2022, and he looks like the sort of player who could gain more velocity in the future. Kemp has good feel for a mid-80s changeup that pairs nicely with his fastball and he also has the makings of a solid, high-spin curveball in the upper 70s. Kemp is committed to Oklahoma.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Kemp was a late-bloomer on the mound who was used as a reliever for part of his high school career. The Padres drafted him in the eighth round in 2023 and signed him to an over-slot $625,000 bonus. Kemp didn’t make his pro debut until 2025, as he was sidelined for the entire 2024 season while recovering from a shoulder impingement. He pitched to a 5.56 ERA with 64 strikeouts to 32 walks across 77.2 innings between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Lake Elsinore. He proceeded to have a productive seven-inning stint in the Arizona Fall League during which he allowed only one run.

Scouting Report: Standing in at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Kemp is an imposing presence on the mound. He operates exclusively out of the stretch and attacks from a slightly lowered three-quarters slot with an abbreviated arm stroke. Kemp’s fastball sits 93-96 mph and has been up to 98 with natural run and sink. Between his arm slot and steeper approach angle, consistently locating his fastball in the bottom half of the zone would serve him well. Kemp’s mid-to-upper-80s gyro slider lacks teeth at present, but he displayed encouraging feel for the offering. He threw his slider for strikes 65% of the time and also showed that he was capable of manipulating its shape. It often looks like a true downer gyro, but on occasion he generates two-plane shape, which is effective when back-footing lefthanded hitters. Kemp threw his upper-80s changeup just 10% of the time, but it looks the part of a viable third pitch to deploy against lefthanded hitters. It routinely flashed late tumble and generated a 43% whiff rate. Kemp’s command is still a work in progress, but it projects as average.

The Future: Although there’s some reliever risk, Kemp has appealing upside as a starter. He has a prototypical pitcher’s frame to go along with a true three-pitch mix and average command. He is still just 21 years old and figures to begin 2026 with High-A Fort Wayne.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme.

Track Record: Kemp was a bit of a late-bloomer on the mound and was used as a reliever as late as his sophomore year in high school. The former Oklahoma commit was selected in the eighth round of the 2023 draft and signed an over-slot deal worth $625,000. Kemp has yet to make his pro debut, as he didn’t throw the summer of his draft year and a shoulder impingement sidelined him for all of 2024.

Scouting Report: Kemp is a big, physical righthander and stands at an imposing 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds. He has a fairly compact delivery and attacks from a three-quarters slot with present arm speed. Kemp’s fastball has been up into the mid 90s, a pitch he supplements with a promising high-spin slider that sits in the upper-70s-to-low-80s. He rounds out his arsenal with a mid-80s changeup that is a work-in-progress. He’s still rather raw on the mound and there is some reliever risk. Kemp will need to refine his secondaries and show he can fill up the strike zone professionally.

The Future: Kemp is on track to make his long-awaited pro debut in 2025. He will likely make his debut in the Arizona Complex League before an eventual promotion to Low-A Lake Elsinore.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50.
BA Grade: 50/Extreme

Track Record: A late-bloomer on the mound, Kemp didn’t start pitching until eighth grade and was a reliever his sophomore year at Weatherford (Texas) High. He blossomed into a top pitching prospect as an upperclassman and was committed to Oklahoma before the Padres drafted him in the eighth round and signed him for $625,000, nearly triple the recommended slot amount. Kemp didn’t pitch in an official game after signing but began throwing at the Padres’ complex during instructional league.

Scouting Report: Large and physical at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, Kemp sat 88-92 mph in high school but had already began pushing his 94-96 mph after getting on a throwing program with the Padres. It projects to be a borderline plus-plus pitch as he continues to mature. Kemp’s secondaries are still raw. He has the makings of a high-spin slider that sits 78-82 mph and he flashes a good feel for a mid-80s changeup with two-seam action, but both are fringy to below-average pitches that need improvement. Despite his size, Kemp has a compact delivery and fast arm speed out a three-quarters slot. He fills up the strike zone with above-average control and shows the ability to manipulate and cut his fastball.

The Future: Kemp is on track to make his pro debut at Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2024. He projects to be a No. 4 starter with continued velocity gains and secondary development.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 55

Draft Prospects

School: Weatherford (Texas) HS Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Oklahoma
Age At Draft: 18.9
Kemp is a large and physical 6-foot-6, 225-pound righthander with lots of length in his limbs, but a surprisingly short and compact arm action despite that. He never fully extends his arm throughout his takeback, instead keeping it cocked and close to his body, before firing to the plate with a three-quarter slot and plenty of arm speed. He has mostly pitched in the 89-92 mph range this spring but he did touch 93-94 a few times in a fall outing in 2022, and he looks like the sort of player who could gain more velocity in the future. Kemp has good feel for a mid-80s changeup that pairs nicely with his fastball and he also has the makings of a solid, high-spin curveball in the upper 70s. Kemp is committed to Oklahoma.