For a few years in the early 2010s, Matt Kemp looked like one of the best players in baseball.
The Dodgers outfielder could hit for power, steal bases, run down balls in center field and generally make baseball look easy.
Then came 2011.
Kemp hit .324 with 39 home runs, 126 RBI and 40 stolen bases, becoming just the 14th player in MLB history to join the 30-homer/40-steal club.
He finished second in the NL MVP voting and won both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The MVP went to Ryan Braun.
Kemp never quite reached those heights again, but he still finished his career with 287 home runs, 1,031 RBI and 170 stolen bases, along with three All-Star selections.
His 2011 season remains one of those baseball seasons that feels increasingly forgotten.
Which is exactly why we remember it.
Happy birthday to Matt Kemp — one of the game’s most spectacular “what if?” stars of the 2010s.
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