Maximilian Kepler, the Berlin-born right fielder who spent 10 seasons with the Twins and was a key member of its 2019 Bomba Squad, is moving on after he agreed to a 1-year, $10 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
It’s a bittersweet moment for this fan. I didn’t expect him to be re-signed by the Twins, but now that he’s gone, it feels a bit like the band is about to break up.
Kepler was signed as a teen by the Twins, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and later arrived in the big leagues in 2015. He hit 17 home runs the following season and would build on those numbers in successive campaigns. But it was 2019 when it appeared that Kepler might be on the verge of something spectacular after he hit 36 home runs and drove in 90 more with a slash line of .252/.336/.519.
But it wasn’t to be. A dead pull hitter, the extreme defensive shifts that used to be part of the game made life pretty miserable for Max as his power numbers and batting average slumped to new lows. He worked on hitting to all fields, and although he showed improvement at the plate, I never quite felt like he recaptured his earlier form.
Defensively, the numbers were solid. From 2016 to 2024, he ranked first among right fielders with 57 outs above average and was fourth in defensive runs saved, according to MLB.com.
Perhaps his most memorable moments with the Twins were the five home runs he hit in five at bats against controversial Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer in 2019.
Kepler stroked three bombs off Bauer on June 6, then he would hit two more off him a month later. Both games were Twins wins, 5-4 and 6-2.
The Star Tribune newspaper was there for both games.
“Some days you don’t see the ball great, some days you see it like a beach ball,” said Kepler, who had been 0-for-21 since being named AL player of the week May 28. “I’m thankful just to be getting to play this game.”
“I just go up there,” said Kepler after he connected for two more bombs on July 13. “Every pitch is the same to me. I have the same approach against every pitcher. Of course, you study their stuff when you have time to see what the ball can do. Just try to simplify and go up there and try to make contact.”
You know who else is going to miss Kepler? A lot of young women. My son and I sat in right field behind three of his female fans during a game at Target Field and man, oh, man, oh, man, did they oooh and aaah over Max for most of the game. Tears and broken hearts, for sure.
Extra innings…
-Kepler’s free-agent decision wasn’t shocking, but the news about Rickey Henderson’s death on Saturday certainly was, especially for a guy who was only 65. A cause of death was not identified, according to the New York Times’ obituary.
What can one say? The numbers speak for themselves: Henderson is the majors’ career leader in stolen bases (1,406), runs scored (2,295) and leadoff home runs with 81, the Times reported.
“Without exaggerating one inch, you could find 50 Hall of Famers who, all taken together, don’t own as many records, and as many important records, as Rickey Henderson,” said the Times, quoting from the writings of baseball statistician and historian Bill James.
No surprise: Henderson was tough on the Twins. His career numbers against Minnesota look like this: 215 hits, 148 runs, 137 walks, 110 stolen bases, 85 RBI and 23 home runs.
-A sportswriter on social media pointed out that Kepler is going to be playing for some much more demanding fans in Philadelphia, which is certainly true. At the same time, he is going to be part of a lineup that consists of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos. In other words, I expect Kepler to see some pretty good pitches.
Sources: Baseball-Reference.com, Newspapers.com