Max Kepler

31-Year-Old OutfielderOF

Free Agent

Out

Injury Knee

Est. Return 2/1/2025

2024 Stats

AVG

.253

RBI

Rest-of-Season Projections

AVG

RBI

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

Kepler had the second-best season of his career even though it looked like his time in Minnesota was coming to an end at the start of 2023. Coming off a subpar season, Kepler was rumored to be on the trade block all offseason. He then hit .232 with three home runs and a .771 OPS in April. Something changed in May, as he hit .263 with 21 home runs and a .823 OPS the rest of the season. He returned to hitting more fly balls (44.3% from 34.4% in 2022) but luck may have played a factor with a career-best .288 BABIP and second-highest 16.1% HR/RB rate. Still, Kepler has always had chronically low BABIP rates, so he could sustain a slight uptick. Kepler's success came despite a dip in his usual strong command at the plate. He had just a 9.2% walk rate and a career-low 21.6% strike out rate, which were likely offset by continued above-average power as his Max Exit Velocity was in the 89th percentile (per Baseball Savant). His .751 OPS against lefties continued a recent improvement against southpaws, which could keep his bat in the lineup more. While his defensive metrics took an uncharacteristic decline (-0.8 fWAR), he's still viewed by the team as a plus defender. He should reprise as the starting right fielder and could find an early age-30s power surge. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

Rest of Season

From Preseason

#498

ADP

Bats L

Throws L

40 Man No

Height 6'4"

Weight 227

DOB 2/10/1993

Born Berlin, Germany

College None

Drafted 2009 MIN

Shut down for season

OFMinnesota Twins

Knee

September 27, 2024

Kepler (knee/hip) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.

ANALYSIS
Kepler was expected to be shut down for the remainder of the regular season, and Friday's move not only confirms that but also rules him out for the entirety of the playoffs -- should the Twins come back from three games back and claim a wild-card spot. Kepler was placed on the injured list Sept. 5 due to left knee tendinitis and received a cortisone injection for hip soreness Sept. 17. He should be healthy once spring training rolls around.

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Batting Stats

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2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

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2023 MLB Game Log

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Batting Order Slot Breakdown

vs Right-Handed Pitchers

vs RHP

vs Left-Handed Pitchers

vs LHP

Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2022

+2%

OPS vs RHP

2024

+7%

OPS vs LHP

2023

+11%

OPS vs RHP

2022

+2%

OPS vs LHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022vs Left	.714	298	31	7	29	1	.254	.319	.396
Since 2022vs Right	.730	1037	138	34	122	4	.245	.318	.411
2024vs Left	.720	82	8	2	10	0	.273	.305	.416
2024vs Right	.672	316	35	6	32	1	.247	.301	.371
2023vs Left	.751	97	15	4	9	0	.250	.320	.432
2023vs Right	.832	394	57	20	57	1	.263	.335	.497
2022vs Left	.677	119	8	1	10	1	.243	.328	.350
2022vs Right	.662	327	46	8	33	2	.221	.315	.347
More Splits→	View More Split Stats

Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2022

+15%

OPS at Home

2024

+30%

OPS at Home

2023

+20%

OPS at Home

2022

+1%

OPS at Home

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022Home	.773	698	92	24	86	1	.261	.331	.442
Since 2022Away	.675	637	77	17	65	4	.232	.305	.370
2024Home	.761	218	25	6	30	0	.282	.326	.436
2024Away	.585	180	18	2	12	1	.217	.272	.313
2023Home	.895	230	37	12	34	0	.291	.357	.539
2023Away	.746	261	35	12	32	1	.233	.310	.435
2022Home	.668	250	30	6	22	1	.213	.312	.356
2022Away	.664	196	24	3	21	2	.244	.327	.337
More Splits→	View More Split Stats

Stat Review

How does Max Kepler compare to other hitters?

This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.

BB/K
Walk to strikeout ratio
BB Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
K Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
BABIP
Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
ISO
Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
AVG
Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
OBP
On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
SLG
Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
OPS
On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
wOBA
Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
Exit Velocity
The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
Hard Hit Rate
A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
Barrels/PA
The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
Expected BA
Expected Batting Average.
Expected SLG
Expected Slugging Percentage.
Sprint Speed
The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
Ground Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
Line Drive %
The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
Fly Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.

BB/K

0.28

BB Rate

5.5%

K Rate

20.1%

BABIP

.300

ISO

.128

AVG

.253

OBP

.302

SLG

.380

OPS

.682

wOBA

.301

Exit Velocity

88.9 mph

Hard Hit Rate

30.2%

Barrels/PA

4.5%

Expected BA

.247

Expected SLG

.381

Sprint Speed

22.4 ft/sec

Ground Ball %

35.2%

Line Drive %

21.0%

Fly Ball %

43.8%

Advanced Batting Stats

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Additional Stats

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Defensive Stats

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Batted Ball Stats

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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Max Kepler See More

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

Kepler hit just nine home runs last year and saw a sharp decrease in power even though his other stats were mostly in line with his career. He did struggle with injuries as he played just 115 games missing time due to a sore knee, broken toe and quad injury, though none seem like long-term worries. Kepler again showed outstanding command at the plate with a 11% walk rate and a career-best 14.8% strike out rate. However, he had a career-low 34.4% FB%. He's still capable of above-average power as his Max Exit Velocity was in the 98th percentile (per Baseball Savant), but that only translated to a career-low .348 SLG. He profiles as a candidate to benefit from the ban on shifts since he's a pull hitter who hits too many ground balls. His 2019 season featured a Pull% of 50.8% compared to just 41.7% last season. His defense remains a plus as he was a Gold Glove finalist in right field. He also had a better OPS last season against lefties, which could mitigate concerns he may be platooned since he's had sharp platoon splits over his career. Still, four years later, it's looking like Kepler's 36-home run 2019 season was an outlier and he'll be hard pressed to keep an everyday job if he can't translate his plate discipline into better production.

With another mediocre performance last season, Kepler's 36-home run 2019 season continues to look like an outlier instead of a breakout season. Kepler hit .211 with a career-low .719 OPS last season. He struggled against left-handed pitching, hitting two home runs with a .509 OPS against southpaws and losing playing time to lefties late in the season. His platoon splits have been a constant struggle aside from the 2019 career year (.880 OPS vs. LHP). Kepler draws walks at a good clip (11.0%) but has struggled to get hits due to a chronically low BABP (.225 last season). He offers good defense with a 9 DRS in right field (ranking 6th among RFs) and is passable in short stints in center field. He also has decent speed and was more active on the bases with a career-high ten steals. He'll begin the season as the starting right fielder, but his inability to hit lefties could see him fall into a platoon.

Kepler took a step back last season after a breakout 2019 campaign as he returned to struggling against lefties. After hitting nine home runs with a .880 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2019, he did not homer and posted just a .378 OPS against lefties last season. Kepler changed his approach at the plate becoming less of a pull hitter (53.4% in 2019 to 44.1%), which is more in line with the rest of his career. He draws walks at a good clip (11.2%) but has struggled to get hits due to a chronically low BABP (.236 last season). Without the 30-plus home run power of his 2019 season, his profile looks fairly average for a corner outfielder. He usually adds strong defense in right field, though his metrics took a step back last year as well (-0.2 UZR). He did play through a strained abductor in September, spending time on the injured list, which may have limited him. He's set as Minnesota's everyday right fielder, but was his step back the result of a small sample or did it show 2019 was an outlier?

Kepler had a breakout season with 36 home runs and an .855 OPS after his career appeared to stall following three similarly mediocre seasons. The Twins surprisingly made Kepler the team's leadoff hitter to begin last season, as despite his low career OBP to that point, he had always drawn walks and could add power to the top of the lineup. Kepler responded with a power surge that included a .267 ISO, the result of pulling the ball more (career-high 53.4%) and more consistent hard contact. He also continued to hit well against left-handed pitching after struggling against southpaws earlier in his career. Kepler is a plus defender in right field (his 9.9 UZR was third in MLB) who has held his own when pressed into center-field duty (2.8 UZR, 16th in MLB). At age 27, Kepler is in his prime and could continue to improve if a perennially-low hit rate (.244 BABIP last year) ever moves higher.

While Kepler hit a career-high 20 home runs and played in 156 games, he hit just .224 and his SLG declined slightly from his underwhelming sophomore season. He may have been a bit unlucky with a .236 BABIP, though he's had a BABIP below .277 the past three seasons. The underlying numbers show some signs of skill growth. He improved both his walk rate (11.6%) and strikeout rate (15.7%) to career bests. He also appeared to finally solve left-handed pitchers with a .745 OPS that was better than his mark against righties. His increased contact (82%) would seem destined to produce more hits this season. His glove will keep him in the lineup even if he doesn't improve -- Kepler is seen as a plus defender in right field, ranking fifth in DRS, and can play center field in a pinch. At age 26 and with an everyday job for the Twins, a significant improvement still seems possible.

Kepler enters 2018 as Minnesota's starting right fielder and will try to improve on a somewhat disappointing second year in the majors. He showed promise in his rookie season with a surprising surge in power that included three homers in one game. His numbers were very similar in his second season, failing to show much improvement while taking a step back in some areas. Kepler's struggles against lefties grew significantly worse (just a .453 OPS) and he was benched frequently against southpaws. Still, Kepler draws walks at a decent clip, has good power and makes strong contact for a player of his ilk. He also has enough speed to play center field in a pinch and is 12-for-15 as a base stealer in the majors. Entering his age-25 season, he could still take a leap, as there is room for growth in the power department. The danger is that his struggles against lefties eventually relegate him to a strict platoon.

Kepler was called up in June and took over the everyday right field role, displaying a surge in power (17 home runs, including a three-homer game) that he hadn't shown in the minors. His growth in power shouldn't be unexpected since he was just 23 years old and may have a delayed development cycle since he started playing baseball late in his native Germany. Kepler draws walks at a good clip, made strong contact in the minors and has some speed on the basepaths. He has some areas to improve as he struggled against left-handed pitching (.595 OPS), had more strikeouts initially in the majors than his minor league track record would suggest and wore down in the final month (.538 OPS in September). He also struggled at times in right field despite good reviews of his defense in the minors. However, he should be set as an everyday outfielder for the Twins and could improve rapidly in his first full season in the majors.

Kepler had a breakout season last year at Double-A and could be in position to win a starting outfield role with the Twins as early as this spring. After failing to make an impression the previous two seasons, he finally put it all together at age 22 by hitting .322/.416/.531 with 18 stolen bases at Double-A. Kepler may have a later development cycle since he started playing baseball late in his native Germany. His growth was on display across the board as he draws walks at a good clip, makes strong contact, and developed increasing power (13 triples). Kepler is seen as a solid defensive outfielder at all three positions and has even played first base. The Twins could opt to send him down to Triple-A to begin the season, but he should see a significant amount of time in Minnesota in 2016.

Kepler had another lackluster season in the minors and even though he may develop later than other players after being signed out of Germany, he'll need to show something in 2015 to remain a top prospect in the Minnesota system. There were some signs of hope as he hit much better the final two months at High-A (.303 batting average) and had a strong Arizona Fall League campaign by hitting .307/.366/.440. He's shown a good eye at the plate as he draws walks, makes contact and scouts believe he'll add power, but he'll need to finally put it all together at Double-A to be in Minnesota's long-term plans.

A strained left elbow cost Kepler the first two and a half months of the 2013 season, and he went on to hit just .237/.312/.424 in 61 games at Low-A Cedar Rapids. He then wasn't impressive in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .234/.306/.313. Still, it's too early to write him off as he has shown good place discipline (drawing walks in 9.1 percent of place appearances last season) and since he may develop later than other players after being signed out of Germany. He'll need to improve in 2014 and show he can stay healthy to maintain his top prospect status.

Kepler was an extremely athletic but very raw player when signed out of Germany in 2009. He started to add baseball skills to his athleticism last year as he hit .297/.387/.539 in rookie ball. He drew walks at a good rate (10 percent of plate appearances) and made great contact (33:27 BB:K). A strong year in his first full season league in 2013 could push him near the top of Minnesota's hitting prospects.

More Fantasy News

Likely out through regular season

OFMinnesota Twins

Knee

September 24, 2024

Manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday that Kepler (knee/hip) isn't expected to return from the injured list before the end of the regular season, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

ANALYSIS
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Taking live batting practice

OFMinnesota Twins

Knee

September 22, 2024

Kepler (knee) will take live batting practice Monday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

ANALYSIS
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Closing in on rehab stint

OFMinnesota Twins

Knee

September 17, 2024

Kepler (knee) received a cortisone injection for hip soreness Monday but is still expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul this weekend, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

ANALYSIS
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Goes on IL with knee tendinitis

OFMinnesota Twins

Knee

September 5, 2024

The Twins placed Kepler on the 10-day injured list Thursday with left patellar tendinitis, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

ANALYSIS
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Out again Thursday

OFMinnesota Twins

Knee

September 5, 2024

Kepler (knee) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's game in Tampa Bay.

ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Likely done in Minnesota

OFMinnesota Twins

September 26, 2024

Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic believes Kepler, who is on the injured list due to knee and hip injuries, has played his last game with the Twins.

ANALYSIS
Kepler isn't expected back before the end of the regular season, and Minnesota's playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread as it trails Detroit by 2.5 games. The veteran outfielder joined the organization as an international signee in 2009, but he'll become a free agent after the season and isn't likely to be re-signed given the Twins' young group of position players. The 31-year-old had a resurgence in 2023 with 24 homers and an .816 OPS, but he regressed this season with a .682 OPS and career-low eight homers in 105 games.

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