If you're wondering which Dodger is going to have a breakout season, look no further than Matt Kemp.
Kemp goes into Spring Training with absolutely no doubt about being the everyday center fielder and he is also coming off a year that saw him hit .290 with 18 homers and 35 steals.
The 24-year old also drove in 76 runs and scored 93 times.
There is no questioning his talent and after seeing him scratch the surface during the 2008 season, 2009 could be a big year.
He could easily be a 25 home run, 100 RBI and 40 steals guy, and the only concern is his awareness and decision making.
In my question and answer session two weeks ago with Dylan Hernandez, the Dodgers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times, he is seeing his base running slip-ups and his defensive mistakes disappear and he sees a guy getting better.
I think that with some of the base running mistakes, last year he didn't have one of those mind boggling errors," Hernandez said. "Those, by and large, were eliminated last year. I think you are seeing the evolution of a baseball player here and from what I hear from people around him, the kid works really hard and whatever mistakes he makes shouldn't be credited to indifference. There are a lot of components that suggest he's heading in the right direction and if you combine it with the upside he has, he has the potential to be a very good player in this league."
Apparently there are others who agree with Dylan and myself.
MLB.com ranked Matt Kemp as the 28th best fantasy player, which really surprised me, but he certainly has the talent. He's ranked ahead of guys like David Ortiz, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau and C.C. Sabathia.
Much less important, but argument supporting none-the-less, Kemp is being kept by the defending champion in my fantasy baseball league.
With so much talk about the possible subtraction of Dodger offense, Kemp should be an offensive addition by simply continuing to improve.
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