2025 Chachi #40 Otto Kemp

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  209
Opening Day 2025 Age:  25

Born:  September 9, 1999, Fullerton, CA
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent with the Phillies, August 1, 2022

Contract Status:  Signed through 2032
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2025

Postseason Appearances:  Philadelphia Phillies 2025

2025 Topps Now #277

The Phillies were going through a rough stretch of consistently losing games in early June when they recalled the hot-hitting Otto Kemp from Lehigh Valley.  The decision was necessitated when Bryce Harper was placed on the injured list with a right wrist injury, with Kemp and Alec Bohm then moving back and forth between first and third base until Harper returned.  Kemp had been hitting .313 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs at Lehigh Valley before his promotion.  He'd return to Lehigh Valley in mid-August to get some more at-bats, but Kemp returned to the Phillies in time for the stretch drive.  In 62 games during his rookie season, Kemp batted .234 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs.  He started in left field against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLDS, going 0 for 2 with a pair of strikeouts.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Now #277
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Favorite 2025 Card:  2025 Topps Now #277
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  9 as of 1/30/26, 5 added in 2025

TCDB Stats:  23 total as of 1/30/26, my 9 cards overall are ranked 1st

Complete Chachi Checklist

2025 Chachi #40

2025 Chachi #58 - Eight Home Runs HL

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

2025 Chachi #39 Alan Rangel 

/ 

2025 Chachi #41 Michael Mercado

Game 158 - Phils Set Franchise Record with 8 Home Runs; Sosa Hits 3!

Miami Marlins	1
Philadelphia Phillies	11

Wednesday Night, September 24th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
93-65, 1st Place, 12 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies set a franchise record by hitting eight home runs in a game, led by Edmundo Sosa's amazing three home run performance in this 11-1 trouncing of the Marlins.

What It Means:  Good vibes all around.  Records were set and the Phillies officially clinched a first round bye in the postseason.  They'll host the Dodgers, Mets or Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS on October 4th.

What Happened:  Jesus Luzardo was the beneficiary of the run support, picking up his team-leading 15th win while striking out ten.  He now has 216 strikeouts for the season, tied for the league lead, and a personal career best.  The record setting home runs started in the third when Kyle Schwarber hit a solo shot, his 55th of the season.  In the fourth, Edmundo Sosa hit the first of his trio, followed a few batters later by Bryson Stott's 13th home run of the year, to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.  

Sosa hit his second of the game in the fifth.  In the seventh, the Phillies put the game out of reach when Schwarber and Bohm went back-to-back.  Nick Castellanos reached on an error, and then Otto Kemp and Sosa went back-to-back.  Marlins' reliever Valente Bellozo was on the mound for all four seventh inning home runs.  Schwarber's 56 home runs are two behind Ryan Howard for the most by a Phillies player in a single season.  Sosa became the first Phillies shortstop with three home runs in a  game.

Featured Card:  A highlight card was definitely needed, and I'm disappointed Topps didn't use this photo for a Topps Now card.

Transaction:  Sosa (inf) was activated from the injured list and Donovan Walton (inf) was designated for assignment.  I think Sosa is healthy!

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

2025 Chachi #57 Rafael Lantigua / 2025 Chachi #59 Trea Turner HL

Game 147 - Luzardo Settles Down to Tame Mets; Phils Sweep

New York Mets	4
Philadelphia Phillies	6

2025 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs (Series 2) #9

Thursday Night, September 11th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
87-60, 1st Place, 11 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Jesus Luzardo allowed four first inning runs and then retired the next 22 Mets batters, as the Phillies came from behind in this 6-4, series sweeping victory.

What It Means:  After an impressive four-game sweep of the second place Mets, the Phillies welcome their 1980 World Series opponents, the Royals, to Citizens Bank Park for a weekend series.  After that, they'll play a crucial, late-night series against the Dodgers with major play-off implications.

What Happened:  Luzardo clearly made a huge adjustment after his shaky first inning, baffling the Mets' line-up the rest of the night.  Jhoan Duran struck out the side in the ninth to seal the win and send the Mets to the brink of possibly missing the postseason.  The Phillies' offense started chipping away at the deficit when Otto Kemp connected for a two-run home run in the fourth.  In the fifth, Weston Wilson led off with a single and was doubled home by Bryce Harper.  Nick Castellanos lashed a hustle double to start the sixth, and scored on Kemp's double, misplayed by center fielder Jeff McNeil, tying the score.  The red-hot Harrison Bader, who had two more hits in this game, singled home Kemp to give the Phillies the lead.  A hard-hit infield single by Harper to first scored the Phillies' sixth and final run.

Featured Card:  Luzardo was phenomenal, but I'll give the card to Kemp here.  This is his card from the second set released by the IronPigs this summer.

Field Report:  Jenna and I were lucky enough to attend this game as part of sponsor's night for the important work being done by ALS United Mid-Atlantic.  After a great dinner in the executive dining room, we enjoyed the game from our seats in Section 223, right in front of the broadcast booth.  What a great night for baseball!

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 66 - Phils Use Small Ball, Solid Effort from Wheeler in Win

Chicago Cubs	3
Philadelphia Phillies	4

11 Innings

2025 Topps Now #277

Monday Night, June 9th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
38-28, 2nd Place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Otto Kemp had three hits, including a key ninth inning bunt hit, and Zack Wheeler struck out seven as the Phillies walked off with a 4-3 win over the Cubs in 11 innings.

What It Means:  The five-game losing streak ended, but unfortunately this new winning streak would be short-lived.

What Happened:  Wheeler got a no decision, but he kept his team in the game with six strong innings, allowing a first inning solo home run to Kyle Tucker and two other hits.  The Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a Weston Wilson RBI single, scoring Kemp.  Matt Strahm entered the game in the eighth and promptly allowed a solo home run to Ian Happ to tie the score at 2-2.  The Cubs briefly took the lead in the top of the 11th, but in the bottom of the inning, J.T. Realmuto singled home ghost runner Nick Castellanos to tie the score at 3-3.  Bryson Stott and Kemp both bunted for hits, loading the bases, and Brandon Marsh singled home Realmuto with the winning run.  Along with Stott's and Kemp's bunt base hits, Johan Rojas contributed two sacrifices.

Featured Card:  Kemp and Wheeler both received Topps Now cards for this game.  Kemp for his three-hit performance and Wheeler for becoming the fastest Phillies pitcher in franchise history to strike out 1,000 batters.  I'll go with the Kemp card here.

2025 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards

Field Report:  We were there, and it was great to pay tribute and celebrate the patients, caregivers and families affected by ALS.  The Phillies have partnered with ALS United Mid-Atlantic for over 40 years at this point, and with the help of the family-owned Asplundh company, $800,004 was raised to help with ALS research and care services.  Grab bags were once again sold before the game, and my family and I came away with a nice haul.  Highlights from our bags were signed balls from Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, along with a signed hat from J.T. Realmuto.

The Phillies again produced a whole set of photo cards to be included in the grab bags as an identifier for the autographed item.  I learned from the team last year their contract with Fanatics precludes them from selling these sets at the ballpark, which is a real shame.  High quality cards are produced for the sole purpose of identifying autographs and then they're either left languishing on a shelf in a closet at the ballpark or thrown away.  As I've done the last few years, I'm trying to build a complete set checklist over at the TCDB.

Transaction:  Wheeler (rhp) was activated from the paternity list and Daniel Robert (rhp) was optioned back to Lehigh Valley.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 64 - Phils Looking for Answers as Losing Continues

Philadelphia Phillies	1
Pittsburgh Pirates	2

2023 Choice
Clearwater Threshers #13

Saturday Afternoon, June 7th

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
37-27, 2nd Place, 3 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  A lack of Phillies offense continued to be a troubling theme in this rapid-fire, 2-1 loss to the Pirates.

What It Means:  The Phillies have lost eight of their last nine games, and they'll attempt to avoid a sweep by the Pirates this afternoon.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez was the hard luck loser, giving up a pair of runs on five hits in five innings of work.  The crushing blow was a solo home run from Henry Davis in the seventh inning.  Kyle Schwarber, the second batter of the game, hit a solo home run in the first, his 20th of the season.  The offense pretty much shut it down from there with only an Alec Bohm double in the top of the seventh generating any excitement.  With no outs, Bohm went to third on a wild pitch, but was stranded there after Nick Castellanos struck out, J.T. Realmuto popped up to shallow right and Bryson Stott flied out.

Featured Card:  Otto Kemp made his big league debut, starting at third base and batting seventh.  He went 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts, but made all his plays in the field.  Kemp was signed by the Phillies as an undrafted free agent in July 2022, and his hard work in the minors earned him a promotion.  He had been batting .313 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs at Lehigh Valley.  This is the first card of his in my collection, from the 2023 Clearwater Threshers team set.

Transaction:  In a flurry of roster moves before this game, Bryce Harper (1b) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right wrist injury and Kemp (inf) had his contract selected from Lehigh Valley.  Alan Rangel (rhp) was sent back down, and Daniel Robert (rhp) came back up through the revolving bullpen door.  And Jose Ruiz (rhp) was claimed off waivers by the Braves.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 34 - Comeback(s) Fall Short in Series Finale

Arizona Diamondbacks	11
Philadelphia Phillies	9

10 Innings

2025 Choice Lehigh
Valley IronPigs #7

Sunday Afternoon, May 4th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
19-15, 2nd Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies dropped a weird and wild game against the Diamondbacks as multiple comeback attempts fell short in this eventual 11-9 loss in 10 innings.

What It Means:  Following a day off on Monday, they'll open a six game road series in Tampa Bay and Cleveland.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez made his season debut, and he looked great until the third inning.  Suarez departed with his team trailing 7-1, having allowed seven hits, two walks and striking out six.  The bullpen was fantastic, allowing the Phillies to creep back into this game, until Jose Alvarado uncharacteristically allowed four runs (three earned) in the ninth and 10th innings.

Bryce Harper hit a solo home run in the first, breaking a long home run drought.  Weston Wilson hit a three-run home run in the sixth to get the score to 7-5, Diamondbacks.  J.T. Realmuto's clutch RBI single in the seventh got the club to within a run.  Trailing 8-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run and Alec Bohm tied the score with a single to center.  The Phillies ran out of magic there, ultimately losing this game, 11-9.

Featured Card:  Maybe it's my allergies or the dreary Monday morning, but I'm coming up empty here.  Here's a recently scanned card from the newly released IronPigs team set, featuring the club's current home run leader (with 10), Otto Kemp.  Kemp also leads Lehigh Valley with 35 RBIs while batting .344.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Spring Training 2025: Non-Roster Invitees

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #29

2022 Topps Heritage #656

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #11

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #33

2024 Choice Buffalo Bisons #8

In years' past, news of Phillies' non-roster invitees trickled in over the weeks and months leading to the opening of spring training.  This year, the Phillies gave us one big press release on January 14th announcing 23 non-roster invitees, and they's added three more names to the list since then.

Here's a look at the 26 non-roster invitees opening camp with the Phillies, their 2024 organizations and one of the more recently available baseball cards.

1. Josh Breaux (c) - Yankees / Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #29
2. Payton Henry (c) - Blue Jays - 2024 Choice Buffalo Bisons #5
3. Paul McIntosh (c) - Marlins - 2024 Choice Pensacola Blue Wahoos #17
4. Caleb Ricketts (c) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #11
5. Rodolfo Castro (inf) - Phillies - 2023 Topps Heritage #453
6. Otto Kemp (inf) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #33
7. Rafael Lantigua (inf) - Blue Jays - 2024 Choice Buffalo Bisons #8
8. Aidan Miller (inf) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-31
9. Carson Taylor (inf) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #7
10. Justin Crawford (of) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-124
11. Gabriel Rincones Jr. (of) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-54
12. Matt Kroon (util) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #14
13. Nabil Crismatt (rhp) - Dodgers / Rangers / Padres - 2023 Topps World Baseball Classic #17
14. Jose Cuas (rhp) - Cubs / Blue Jays / Phillies - 2024 Topps Heritage #151
15. Joel Kuhnel (rhp) - Astros / Blue Jays / Brewers / Rays - 2020 Topps Update #U-281
16. Griff McGarry (rhp) - Phillies - 2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-16
17. John McMillon (rhp) - Royals / Marlins - 2024 Topps #571
18. Nicholas Padilla (rhp) - White Sox - 2024 Choice Charlotte Knights #16
19. Andrew Painter (rhp) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #37
20. Austin Schulfer (rhp) - Twins / Tigers - 2023 Choice St. Paul Saints SGA
21. Guillo Zuniga (rhp) - Angels - 2023 Topps Now World Baseball Classic #WBC-22
22. Tristan Garnett (lhp) - Phillies - 2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #20
23. Nick Vespi (lhp) - Orioles - 2024 Choice Norfolk Tides #39
24. Koyo Aoyagi (rhp) - Hanshin Tigers - 2024 Topps NPB #78
25. Christian Arroyo (inf) - Brewers - 2023 Topps #352
26. Oscar Mercado (of) - Padres / Tigers - 2024 Choice El Paso Chihuahuas #17

Aoyagi signed a minor league deal with the Phillies on January 17th, and he's a veteran of nine seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.  Aoyagi was a an All-Star in Japan in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

On Valentine's Day, the Phillies officially signed Christian Arroyo (inf) and Oscar Mercado (of) to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training.  Arroyo has spent seven seasons in the majors as a back-up infielder with the Giants, Rays, Indians and Red Sox.  Mercado, who played in one game for the Phillies in 2022, was most recently in the majors with the Cardinals in 2023.

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #7

2024 Topps Pro Debut #PD-54

2024 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #14

2024 Topps Heritage #151

2020 Topps Update #U-281

2024 Topps #571

2024 Choice Reading Fightin Phils (3rd Edition) #20

2023 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary #91

2023 Topps NPB #105

2023 Topps #352