Beau Kemp Stats & Scouting Report

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Kemp was one of Oklahoma's best high school quarterbacks and considered a potential first- to third-round pick in the 1999 baseball draft, but off-the-field problems caused him to slip to the Orioles in the 22nd round. He opted for a year at Saddleback to get himself together. He didn't move up in the draft, though, and hasn't exactly been a model citizen since the Twins took a flier on him, as he ran into more troubles with the law last spring. On the mound, Kemp has been downright nasty. He blows hitters away with a full-effort delivery and a high-octane fastball that reaches 95 mph, allowing earned runs in just four of 59 appearances last year. He has a good, hard slider and can locate both pitches to either side of the plate. Sometimes the downward plane of his pitches becomes an issue because of his size, but he didn't allow a home run and keeps the ball low in the zone. Kemp must keep his focus as he continues to move one level at a time toward a short-relief role in Minnesota.

As a 31st-round draft pick out of junior college, Kemp is expected to prove himself every step of the way. In three pro seasons, he has done nothing but overpower his opponents with a plus-plus fastball. Kemp regularly pumped 95 mph gas by hitters and mixed in a hard slider. He permitted earned runs to cross the plate in just four games, putting together streaks of 18 and 25 games without allowing one. He also was stingy with homers, not yielding one all year. "He has a really quick arm," Barrios said. "He's deceptive, gets up on hitters. He's very aggressive and confident. The slider is pretty nasty too."