An All-American second-baseman at Vanderbilt University, the 5-foot 6-inch Kemp drew comparisons to José Altuve not only for his size, but for his ability and his style of play. Selected by the Astros in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, the SEC Player of the Year was eventually moved back to his original position in the outfield in order to clear a smoother path to the majors.

He first was promoted to the Astros in 2016 and was known for his bear hugs in the dugout after home runs. Kemp played parts of four seasons with Houston, batting .240 with 14 homers. At the 2019 trade dealine, he was dealt to the Cubs and appeared in 44 games.