a bit of deja vu

Kemp Alderman’s pro career may be following the same path as his career at Ole Miss, where he started slowly before erupting in his final two years. The Decatur native and former Newton County Academy star hit his first home run for High-Class A Beloit on Tuesday, a game-winning shot to right-center field against Peoria. Alderman has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games for the Sky Carp and is batting .256 with nine RBIs and seven runs in 22 games since moving up. He hit .270 with five homers and 30 RBIs in 33 games in Low-A ball this year after batting just .205 with a single bomb in 34 games at that level in his pro debut. Alderman started quietly as a freshman at Ole Miss, rarely playing, then hit .286 with 11 homers for the 2022 College World Series winner. In 2023, he put up one of the best seasons in school history, winning the Ferriss Trophy and earning second-team All-America recognition while batting .376 with 19 homers and 61 RBIs. Miami drafted him in the second round — 47th overall — last summer. At 6 feet 3, 250 pounds, the 22-year-old outfielder has been compared to ex-Mississippi State star and current big league slugger Hunter Renfroe, who has 189 career MLB bombs. Alderman has that kind of power potential, and it is starting to show. Alderman is ranked as the Marlins’ No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline. P.S. Ole Miss alum James McArthur threw two hitless innings, MSU product Chris Stratton worked a clean ninth and former Bulldogs standout Adam Frazier scored a run as Kansas City beat Cleveland 6-1 and moved into a tie for the American League Central lead.