Marlins’ Kemp Alderman Dials In For A Big 2025
There are a few things different this year about 22-year-old outfielder Kemp Alderman.
For starters, Alderman got married in the offseason, tying the knot with Sailor, who works remotely in digital marketing. They met while classmates at Mississippi, and they honeymooned in Antigua.
On the field, the 6-foot-3 Alderman has gotten in better shape. From a high of 255 pounds at Ole Miss, he now weighs 235.
“One of my goals this year,” Alderman said, “is to be a 20-20 guy.”
That’s audacious considering Alderman never stolen more than five bases in any of his three college or two pro seasons. The Marlins drafted him in the second round in 2023.
What Alderman has proven he can do is hit the ball hard. Really hard.
In the Arizona Fall League last November he hit a ball 119.5 mph. It was the hardest-hit ball of the season, and it was one of six homers in nine AFL games for the righthanded batter. The league leader hit 10.
“I hardly felt it hit my bat,” said Alderman of his signature home run, which he hit off a slider he pulled to left-center field. “When you hit it good, it just feels pure.”
One reason Alderman was in the AFL was that he missed April, May and half of June with a fractured left hand. He appeared in 77 total games in 2024, most of them at Low-A Jupiter and High-A Beloit.
He hit .255/.317/.406 with seven homers in 66 games at the two Class A stops.
Alderman is a corner outfielder now, but he pitched as an amateur—he made six total appearances in the Southeastern Conference—and dabbled as a catcher in high school. At Ole Miss, he helped the Rebels win the 2022 College World Series.
As for this season, Alderman is working on pitch selection.
“With two strikes, I’m trying not to chase,” he said. “I’m pretending it’s a 3-1 count.”
