Former Astros prospect, 35, killed in tragic auto accident

Outfielder Jon Kemmer, an outfielder who spent the last four of his seven minor league seasons at Triple-A, died April 12 in a single-car crash in Texas. He was 35.

According to Explore Clarion, which cited the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office, Kemmer’s vehicle “was traveling on rural Farm to Market 2004 when his vehicle left the roadway, struck an electrical pole and rolled at approximately 6:09 p.m. Sunday.”

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Kemmer was drafted by the Astros out of high school in 2013. By 2016, he was the No. 13 prospect in the organization according to Baseball America, and No. 21 according to MLB Pipeline.

Kemmer would appear in 47 spring training games with the Astros from 2016-18, and became a reliable source of power for their top farm team.

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From 2016-17, Kemmer hit 34 home runs, drove in 126 runs, and hit .280 for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. By then, the Astros were one of the best teams in the American League. In 2017, they won their first-ever World Series title.

In July 2018, the Astros traded Kemmer to the Minnesota Twins. He got into 10 spring games with the Twins in 2019, but he was released that March.

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After a brief detour to Mexico, Kemmer signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June 2019. He slashed .252/.360/.445 for the Oklahoma City Dodgers with six home runs and 13 RBIs in 39 games.

After playing four games in the 2020-21 Dominican Winter League season, Kemmer’s professional playing career was over.

According to Explore Clarion, Kemmer coached the HTX Battle Bucks 14U travel baseball team. Last weekend, the team competed in the Triple Play Classic in Houston. Kemmer was returning home from the tournament when the crash occurred, according to sources cited by the website.

More to come on this story.