Biographical

Portrait of Max Kepler

Max Kepler RFTwins

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 26)
PA AVG HR R RBI SB DRC+ WARP
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Birth Date2-10-1993
Height6' 4"
Weight225 lbs
Age31 years, 9 months, 11 days
BatsL
ThrowsL
-0.02015
1.42016
0.92017
2.92018
1.92019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA H 2B 3B HR BB SO HBP SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ DRAA BRR FRAA BWARP
2015 MIN 22 3 7 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .143 .143 .143 67 -0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0
2016 MIN 23 113 447 93 20 2 17 42 93 3 6 2 .235 .309 .424 101 1.4 0.9 3.5 1.4
2017 MIN 24 147 568 124 32 2 19 47 114 6 6 1 .243 .312 .425 90 -5.7 -2.2 5.4 0.9
2018 MIN 25 156 611 119 30 4 20 71 96 5 4 5 .224 .319 .408 102 3.6 2.7 8.9 2.9
2019 MIN 26 134 596 132 32 0 36 60 99 8 1 5 .252 .336 .519 126 22.7 -3.7 2.4 3.5
Career5532229469114892220405221713.238.319.44410521.8-2.420.38.7

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G PA oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ DRC+ DRC+ SD FRAA BRR DRAA BWARP
2011 ELZ Rk APP 50 221 .259 .329 .402 .355 101 1 6.9 -1.9 86 0 -7.2 -0.7 -11.4 -1.4
2012 GER int WBQ 4 17 .000 .000 .000 .200 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2012 ELZ Rk APP 59 269 .258 .332 .386 .309 110 15.5 8.3 -0.6 152 0 -5.1 0.3 13.9 1.6
2013 CDR A MID 61 263 .263 .331 .391 .254 112 1.2 7.4 -2.9 106 0 0.4 -1.4 -1.1 0.2
2014 FTM A+ FSL 102 407 .258 .325 .368 .304 99 5.7 11.9 -1.6 104 0 -8.8 -1.0 -5.4 -0.5
2015 MIN MLB AL 3 7 .256 .315 .411 .250 110 -1 0.2 -0.1 67 9 0.1 0.0 -0.2 0.0
2015 FTM A+ FSL 6 26 .241 .294 .341 .316 95 0.5 0.7 -0.3 106 0 -0.2 0.4 -0.4 0.0
2015 CHT AA SOU 112 482 .253 .329 .376 .359 104 36.5 12.9 -5.1 169 0 8.0 8.0 25.1 5.3
2016 MIN MLB AL 113 447 .255 .320 .418 .261 113 -3.5 12.6 -4.6 101 12 3.5 0.9 1.4 1.4
2016 ROC AAA INT 30 128 .258 .322 .388 .309 102 3.2 3.6 -1 116 0 2.3 0.7 0.7 0.7
2017 MIN MLB AL 147 568 .257 .324 .431 .276 109 -6.9 16.6 -5.6 90 8 5.4 -2.2 -5.7 0.9
2018 MIN MLB AL 156 611 .250 .319 .411 .236 104 0.2 17.1 -3.9 102 6 8.9 2.7 3.6 2.9
2019 MIN MLB AL 134 596 .254 .324 .438 .244 100 21 18.0 -3.3 126 5 2.4 -3.7 22.7 3.5

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
Year Team lvl LG PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO SF SH
2011 ELZ Rk APP 221 191 29 50 11 3 1 70 24 23 54 1 1 .262 .347 .366 .105 2 2
2012 GER int WBQ 17 14 4 2 0 1 0 4 4 3 4 0 0 .143 .294 .286 .143 0 0
2012 ELZ Rk APP 269 232 40 69 16 5 10 125 49 27 33 7 0 .297 .387 .539 .241 2 0
2013 CDR A MID 263 236 35 56 11 3 9 100 40 24 43 2 0 .237 .312 .424 .186 1 0
2014 FTM A+ FSL 407 364 53 96 20 6 5 143 59 34 62 6 2 .264 .333 .393 .129 2
2015 CHT AA SOU 482 407 76 131 32 13 9 216 71 67 63 18 4 .322 .416 .531 .209 5 1
2015 FTM A+ FSL 26 24 4 6 2 0 0 8 0 2 5 1 0 .250 .308 .333 .083 0 0
2015 MIN MLB AL 7 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 .143 .143 .143 .000 0 0
2016 MIN MLB AL 447 396 52 93 20 2 17 168 63 42 93 6 2 .235 .309 .424 .189 5 1
2016 ROC AAA INT 128 110 16 31 4 6 1 50 19 16 14 1 1 .282 .367 .455 .173 2 0
2017 MIN MLB AL 568 511 67 124 32 2 19 217 69 47 114 6 1 .243 .312 .425 .182 3 1
2018 MIN MLB AL 611 532 80 119 30 4 20 217 58 71 96 4 5 .224 .319 .408 .184 3 0
2019 MIN MLB AL 596 524 98 132 32 0 36 272 90 60 99 1 5 .252 .336 .519 .267 4 0

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr% CSAA
2015 37 0.5405 0.5135 0.7895 0.7000 0.2941 0.8571 0.6000 0.2105 0.0000
2016 1725 0.4765 0.4301 0.7911 0.5450 0.3256 0.9040 0.6190 0.2089 0.0000
2017 2104 0.4857 0.4278 0.7756 0.5656 0.2976 0.8962 0.5590 0.2244 0.0000
2018 2321 0.4778 0.4244 0.8203 0.6123 0.2525 0.9057 0.6307 0.1797 0.0000
2019 2144 0.4827 0.4921 0.7972 0.6928 0.3048 0.9052 0.5680 0.2028 0.0000
Career83310.48110.44430.79690.60770.29270.90260.59390.20310.0000

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2014-07-21 2014-07-29 Minors 8 0 - Not Disclosed -
2014-06-04 2014-06-19 Minors 15 0 - Not Disclosed -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2024 MIN $10,000,000
2023 MIN $8,500,000
2022 MIN $6,750,000
2021 MIN $6,500,000
2020 MIN $6,250,000
2019 MIN $6,000,000
2018 MIN $587,500
2017 MIN $547,500
2016 MIN $
2015 MIN $
YearsDescriptionSalary
7 yrPrevious$35,135,000
2019Current$10,000,000
8 yrPvs + Cur$45,135,000
8 yrTotal$45,135,000

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
7 y 152 dApex5 years/$35M (2019-23), 2024 option

Details
  • 5 years/$35M (2019-23), plus 2024 club option. Signed extension with Minnesota 2/14/19. 19:$6M, 20:$6.25M, 21:$6.5M, 22:$6.75M, 23:$8.5M, 24:$10M club option ($1M buyout). 2024 option may increase based on awards in 2022-23 ($0.5M each for All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, with a maximum increase of $1M). Award bonuses for top six finish in MVP vote, LCS MVP, WS MVP, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, All Star selection. Perks: hotel suite on 2023-24 road trips. Extension replaced 1 year/$3.125M deal signed 1/11/19, avoiding arbitration. Minnesota exercised 2024 option 11/2/23.
  • 1 year/$587,500 (2018). Re-signed by Minnesota 3/18.
  • 1 year (2017). Re-signed by Minnesota 3/17.
  • 1 year (2016). Re-signed by Minnesota 3/2/16.
  • 1 year (2015). Re-signed by Minnesota 3/3/15.
  • 1 year (2014). Contract selected by Minnesota 11/20/13. Re-signed by Minnesota 2/28/14.
  • Signed by Minnesota 2009 as an amateur free agent from Germany. $800,000 signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ VORP FRAA WARP
90o 43 9 2 0 1 4 7 0 0 .237 .326 .368 117 3.0 CF 0, 0.0
80o 29 7 2 0 1 3 5 0 0 .269 .345 .462 111 1.8 CF 0, 0.0
70o 19 5 1 0 1 2 3 0 0 .294 .368 .529 107 1.0 CF 0, 0.0
60o 10 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 .222 .300 .333 104 0.5 CF 0, 0.0
50o 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 100 0.1 CF 0, 0.0
Weighted Mean300000100.000.000.0001010.1CF 0,0.0

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2020-02-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)Have a bit of a roster crunch in my keep 8 league. Already planning to keep bellinger, Harper, Pete Alonso, rendon, Jose Ramirez and Jacob deGrom. Which three would you keep around from Eugenio Suarez, Ozzie Albies, Max Kepler, Starling Marte, Chris Sale, Trevor Bauer or Corey Kluber? Thanks!
(Jon from Warshington )
It depends on league size and scoring. I also count 6 you plan to keep so not sure there is room for 3 in a keep 8 league. Regardless, I'll give you my top 2 plus a 3rd! (1) Albies, (2) Marte, and (3) Sale. I'd consider Suarez, but you are already keeping two 3B. (Jesse Roche)
2019-08-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Nelson Cruz the most undervalued player in fantasy? Good grief.
(Jessica from NYC)
He's definitely undervalued, probably due to his age, but I'd currently give that award to either DJ LeMahieu or Cruz's teammate Max Kepler. (JP Breen)
2019-05-17 16:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on Max Kepler in a dynasty league? *Great article today, btw*
(AJ from Boston)
thanks for the kind words!

There's a little more room for growth but I feel like what you see is mostly what you're going to get. (Mike Gianella)
2019-05-13 16:00:00 (link to chat)Can you provide some explanation behind the decision to bat Marwin Gonzalez cleanup the other day? I know he's been hitting better the past 7-10 days, and a doubleheader was involved, but it still seems like there were several better candidates for that slot in the order.
(Mike from Saint Paul)
Marwin Gonzalez hit cleanup yesterday against a left-handed pitcher. The hitters behind him in the Twins' lineup were C.J. Cron, Max Kepler, Ehire Adrianza, Jake Cave, and Byron Buxton. Kepler and Cave are lefties. Adrianza is a poor hitter. Buxton has hit ninth all year and has also often been a poor hitter. I suppose you could have flipped Gonzalez and Cron, but there's no real impact there. (Aaron Gleeman)
2019-05-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)Of the players getting their first extended look at regular playing time who weren't huge prospects/names, are there any that you buy more than others? E.g. Voit, Christian Walker, Hunter Dozier, Yandy Diaz? Similarly, any of the hot start guys like Jorge Polanco, Josh Bell, or Max Kepler have you considering raising your idea of their "true talent" so to speak?
(nschaef from NYC)
I'm buying into Voit and Diaz to varying extents and still in wait and see on Dozier. I'm not buying Walker doing this for an extended period but he's probably better than I ever gave him credit for. Voit I think has been pretty well explained, and I'd encourage you to read Lindsey Adler's recent piece on him in The Athletic. Diaz has always had particular skills, but he really needs to continue to move that launch angle up for me to keep buying it as it has been going. (Craig Goldstein)
2019-03-18 16:00:00 (link to chat)More likely to break out in 2019-- Nomar Mazara or Max Kepler?
(edwar288 from Minneapolis)
I chose Kepler as my "outfielder to target" in our staff piece a few weeks ago, so you know where my sympathies lie. They could end up with similar value this season, but Mazara is going about 80 picks ahead of Kepler, so I'll happily wait on The Astronomer (nod to Chris Liss for that). (Jon Hegglund)
2019-03-08 16:00:00 (link to chat)I'm having a very tough time with my last keeper in a deep 16 team points league. I'm deciding between Nate Eovaldi, Max Kepler, and Nomar Mazara. Can you rank each them according to upside over the next three years? And floor?
(edwar288 from St. Paul)
Ask Bret, and Mazara is the clear winner. His floor is what he's been doing, about .260 with 20 HR. But his batted ball profile has to change before he unlocks the .280/30 upside Bret talks about. I'm skeptical he can make the adjustment, but he's still quite young.

I like Kepler for more than what he did in 2018, but clearly the floor is his 2017-18 results. He also has an outside chance at 30 HR, and his batting average will be lower than Mazara's, but he walks more and strikes out less than Mazara to offset that in a points league.

Eovaldi had career bests in many metrics. If those stick, he's a great investment on a competitive team. But It's also possible he regresses a little, and the health issue is a factor. I don't see tons of upside, but his ERA probably sits between 3.70 and 4.00 with a good WHIP.

If you're hurting for SP depth and want the best value in 2019, it's Eovaldi, Mazara, Kepler. If you just want pure upside potential, Mazara is your guy. (Kevin Jebens)
2018-04-13 12:00:00 (link to chat)Is this the year that Max Kepler finally breaks out?
(Cajun B from Cuba)
Early signs look good. Very early signs though. (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2017-10-03 20:00:00 (link to chat)What is the in-game equivalent of receiving a 2,000 word text, and what is the likelihood of that occurring in this game?
(Mary from Texas)
I'm not sure of the exact form, but it almost certainly involves Marlins Man, the Judge's Chambers, and a belabored Max Kepler pun. --Meg Rowley (AL WC Game Chat)
2016-08-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)You mentioned him earlier, but what kind of stats can we expect out of Max Kepler in a typical year going forward?
(Josh from NYC)
I think .260/.340/.440 is pretty reasonable. He's a comfortable, everyday outfielder that perhaps lacks top end upside but brings you consistently solid at-bats. Most teams have one of these guys in one form or the other. (Will Haines)
2016-04-12 18:00:00 (link to chat)Do you think Kepler takes over for Rosario sometime soon this season, and if so do you think that's going to be permanent? What's the future of MN's outfield?
(cooldude from Mpls)
I think Max Kepler definitely gets a call up, but it's probably going to be injury-related.

This question was asked before the call-up. I don't feel bad. (Christopher Crawford)
2016-03-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)Will Max Kepler push Eddie Rosario to the bench this summer? Will that be a bad thing, good thing, great thing or just a thing?
(Drew from Mpls)
If he does, that's a great thing, not only for Twins fans, but for baseball in general, which is looking for its first European-trained star. Rosario apparently led the league in triples last year, which is interesting. You could've given me 50 guesses and I wouldn't have picked him. (Michael Baumann)
2016-01-27 19:00:00 (link to chat)Max Kepler .... if not 2016, then 2017, right?
(dianagram from VORGville)
Yeah. I'm expecting him to get some time this year, but probably not full time until 2017. (Matt Collins)
2015-08-13 20:00:00 (link to chat)Does Max Kepler have much else to prove in AA? With his elite plate approach and stellar BA does he get a shot in the bigs in September?
(Jpilgrim from Tulsa)
That he can hit for power? If he does, he'll take a big jump forward. The Twins have rightfully been slow with him and no reason to believe he should get a cup of coffee this year this year. (Greg Wellemeyer)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)Hello Mr. Gianella. Please let me know if Max Kepler is the real. Is he worth a pick up in a 12 team dynasty? 20 team dynasty? Word up.
(Jose from San Diego)
16=team or deeper. Can still be a valid MLBer, but I think many were hoping the power would be here by now. Still not showing up. (Mike Gianella)
2015-07-28 18:00:00 (link to chat)Can Max Kepler be a first division outfielder?
(John from Dallas)
I don't think he hits enough to carry a first division profile. There's not a lot of power here and I don't think the hit tool gets to the point where he can carry a first division profile in right. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-07-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)Max Kepler. No seriously how good is Max Kepler?
(Max Kepler from Max Kepler)
Max Kepler. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-07-13 14:30:00 (link to chat)I know that Max Kepler is injured now and not in the futures game, but is he a top-100 prospect now? Could you give a possible MLB statline for him if he reaches his OFP?
(Michael from NY)
Not for me.

He's a solid player, but nothing more than a Role 5 guy. (Futures Game Chat)
2015-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who in your opinion will make a better major leaguer, Max Kepler or Adam Brett Walker? Will either of them be up any time soon?
(Josh from Minnesota)
Walker has the power but oh so much swing and miss. I think Kepler is the choice long term, but neither is ready. (Harry Pavlidis)
2015-06-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)Between Adam Brett Walker and Max Kepler, who do you think is the better prospect? And do either of them have staying power in the majors? Thanks!
(Anthony from Minnesota)
Kepler is more refined but Walker is a lot more fun. He's one of my favorite prospects in the game, and not because I believe in him but because he treats every bat like it's home run derby. It won't work of course, but it's a lot of fun. He can find a niche as a platoon outfielder who just crushes lefties and runs into a number of home runs because the power is legit, but there are too many holes and absolutely no approach. Kepler is more well rounded and is beginning to hit like people expected. I'm still a little confused as to why the Twins have him at first base, though. He's not a great outfielder but unless something happened since I saw him last year that has completely evaporated his range, he's good enough to handle a corner. He could be a big leaguer. (Jeff Moore)
2015-01-28 19:00:00 (link to chat)In a very deep dynasty (about 800 minors are rostered), can you rank the following: Matt Smoral, Franmil Reyes, Tyler Anderson, Max Kepler, Micker Adolfo and Zach Borenstein. Sorry for the gross question and I'll be your best friend if you answer it.
(AC from Dallas, America)
We gotta stop doing this, America.

Anderson, Micker, Smoral, Reyes, Borenstein and then Kepler.

This was gross. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-11-04 18:00:00 (link to chat)Max Kepler has some of physical tools and seems to have good bat to ball skills. Do you think he can develop more power so that he be a starter somewhere? Thanks!
(Scott from Saint Louis)
Kepler is going to have a tough road as a prospect. I'm not positive where he fits defensively, and if he slides down the defensive spectrum, then the power is really going to have to step forward. The strength and bat speed are there, but he doesn't lift the ball as much as you'd like and the hard contact isn't as frequent as I want to see. Kepler is still quite raw and could take years to reach his developmental peak, so don't lose hope...be patient. (Mark Anderson)
2013-11-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)Are you high on Max Kepler? Do you think his position is OF or 1B in the future?
(Jim Lin from China)
Kepler had a bit of an up-down summer, and it's easy to forget he played the entire year as a 20-year old. I like the profile and think he has a good shot to stick in the outfield. Chance for high 5/high 5 hit/power when all is said and done; very interested to follow the progression next year. (Nick J. Faleris)
2013-04-04 11:00:00 (link to chat)In your opinion, what is Max Kepler's ceiling?
(TerryRyan from Minneapolis)
First-division potential if everything clicks, which it rarely does. I think he could reach the majors, which would be a huge accomplishment on its own and great for the continued spread of the sport in Europe. (Jason Parks)
2012-09-24 14:30:00 (link to chat)Do you dream of doing ballet with Max Kepler?
(Bradley Ankrom from New York)
Only every night. Honestly, Kepler seems like a really, really interesting character, between the ballet and the Germanness, etc. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens now that he looks like he's finally ready to move out of the rookie league. Hard to believe he's still only 19. (Bill Parker)
2012-09-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)Rate the top Twins prospects in order - Sano, Buxton, Hicks, Arcia, Rosario?
(Ian from MPLS)
I like that order for the most part. I'd flip Arcia and Hicks -- Sano, Buxton, Arcia, Hicks... with Max Kepler close behind. God, I love Max Kepler. (Bradley Ankrom)
2012-08-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)What are your thoughts on Max Kepler's power surge this season? It is an aberration or is he starting to tap into something real?
(MadHandle11 from Spokane)
There's some tapping going on there. Certainly something to be optimistic about. (Kevin Goldstein)
2012-02-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)He's know where near your list but do you have any thoughts on the German Twin ball player, Max Kepler? Is he a real prospect or more of a sideshow?
(Mike from MPLS)
He's an incredible athlete, but still very raw. Not a sideshow, just a long shot. (Kevin Goldstein)


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