Aug 11, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler (26) hits a single during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Max Kepler was in Philadelphia in October to have an extensive core muscle surgery to repair injuries he struggled through in 2024 in his final year with the Minnesota Twins.
After his surgery, he returned to his hotel room and looked out the window. He could see Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies were about to play a playoff game against the New York Mets. Kepler was itching to go to the game, to experience the energy of Red October. His mom was with him to take care of him after the surgery, and she offered to take him over, but Kepler decided not to go because he was "all banged up" after the surgery. So his mom just put the game on the television for Kepler to watch.
"It was on, but then again, I wouldn't say I was in a sober mind," he said. "I was definitely a little drugged up and so I was kind of in and out trying to recover from the surgery. My mom (asked) 'Do you want to go to the game?' I wish I could but I couldn't really walk though, and I didn't want to go in a wheelchair, so it definitely wasn't the right place at the right time, but you could definitely feel the energy, even though you weren't there."
It's not sure Kepler was feeling anything at the moment, but he's had a good offseason recovering from his myriad injuries and said he feels 100 percent.
It's one of the reasons the Phillies were confident adding Kepler was the right move to solve their seemingly never ending outfield shuffle. They signed Kepler to a one year, $10 million contract last month.
#MLBNHotStove discusses Max Kepler's reported one-year deal with the Phillies and how he fits into this lineup. pic.twitter.com/bs2dNPEcUy
Kepler said he is planning to head down to Clearwater early to start working with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long and to familiarize himself with the Phillies, a team he said he was excited to join because he wanted to play for a team who is a contender for a championship.
"The Phillies the last (few) years are a team I really looked at, not just when we played against them, but also when they're playing top tier teams - the way they carry themselves. There's a bunch of ballers on that team that I can learn from and just enjoy watching work. But the main reason is to win a championship and I think that team has everything."
Well, almost everything. They don't have that trophy they keep chasing. And they didn't achieve it last year because their offense faltered. So far, Kepler is the only new addition to that lineup, so the spotlight is sure to be on him, especially against left-handed pitching, which he hasn't hit as well in his career as he does righties - except for last season, which could be a sign of maturity, for the soon-to-be 32-year-old, or it could just be an anomaly. Time will tell.
"To be honest, I don't view myself as someone who struggles against lefties, he said.
Well, for his career, Kepler has slashed .221/.292/.363 for a .655 OPS against left-handed pitchers. That's an tOPS+ of 76 (Which is a rating, with 100 being average, of a players OPS in the split relative to his total OPS - meaning Kepler is about 24% below his average OPS against lefties.) He also only has 27 homers in 1,081 career plate appearances against lefties.
Against righties, Kepler has been above average, slashing .243/.326/.452 for a .778 OPS. He has 134 homers in 3,170 career plate appearances against righties.
Writing was on the wall. We knew Max Kepler’s time in Minnesota was over.
I’ve really appreciated what he brings, albeit some disappointing moments. He will always be a Twin ❤️💙#MNTwins
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Kepler later clarified his initial comment.
"There's been , obviously, a couple years in my career where I struggled against lefties," he said. "But it's not like I struggled every single year."
Kepler added that it's all based on opportunity, and that he feels that with a consistent opportunity to face lefties, he will hit them.
"I hope I get the consistency to show and prove that I can hit lefties because I'm certain I can hit lefties," he said. "I've done it my whole career."
Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said he views Kepler as an every day player, but he's said the same thing about Brandon Marsh in the past, and Marsh has fallen into a bit of a platoon. He said the same about Austin Hays last year, and while Hays had to deal with injuries, he never seemed like he put good swings on the ball when given the opportunity against righties.
Time will tell if Kepler is the right fit for the Phillies - and he's going to have to hit lefties if he's going to be.
If nothing else, Kepler is looking forward to the vibes of playing for the Phillies.
"The atmosphere (in Philadelphia) compared to Minnesota is a very strong contrast," he said. "It supplies me with raw energy and adrenaline to step on that field again."
He's got that part figured out already.
