Minnesota Twins Outfielder Max Kepler - Michael Reaves/ Getty Images
When they first started, Max Kepler did not even hear the voices. They were not even hushed whispers. They were barely audible. The voices started in 2020 after a disappointing season for Max. This was one year after his breakout season of 2019 where his potential looked limitless.
But most fans came to the conclusion that since it was a short season due to the pandemic, there was probably a multitude of reasons why he did not play up to his potential. He’ll get ‘em next year.
Kepler Continues his Slump
The voices grew louder in 2021 when Kepler had another disappointing season. He did hit 19 homers, but he had career lows in batting average, on base percentage, and on-base slugging percentage. Were the myriad of defensive shifts confusing him? Why was he struggling so much with left-handed pitchers again? The Twins’ brass and fans had no answers.
Then in 2022, the sound of the voices reached a crescendo pitch. Kepler was immersed in a year long slump that saw him produce some of the lowest offensive totals of his career. He also made three trips to the injured list that year due to issues with his toe, wrist, and knee.
Still a Defensive Stalwart
The saving grace in this was that Kepler was still playing an outstanding defensive right field. But in the past few seasons, Kepler has declined to play centerfield. This was a disappointment to the Twins as he was usually considered the oft-injured Byron Buxton’s principal backup at this position. Thus, over the winter, the Twins were entertaining trade talks for the veteran outfielder. The sounds of the voices were palpable.
Well, winter turned to spring and when the Twins training camp opened in February, Max Kepler remained a Minnesota Twin. This was due in large part to the lack of interest by other MLB teams in acquiring his services. Now the voices were being heard loud and clear. So loud that even manager Rocco Baldelli and the Twins brass could hear them. And if they somehow managed to drown them out, the press would remind them every day about their existence.
Is There any Hope for Kepler?
As the Twins broke camp and headed north, there was just a smidge of hope that Kepler’s production would be improved in 2023. Major League Baseball had instituted some changes prior to this season in an effort to speed up the pace of ballgames.
One of these was the elimination of most the defensive shifts that have come into vogue in the past few seasons. The reasoning was that this would help Kepler because most of his balls were predictively hit to the right side of the field.
But alas, things only got worse for Mr. Kepler. He hit only .242 in April with three home runs and eight RBIs. The voices were now at a deafening pitch. They could no longer be denied.
Get Out of the Way!
By the end of May, Kepler’s batting average had slipped to .195 and all you could hear were the voices. To make matters worse, it seemed that Kepler was impeding the path to the majors for prospects Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner. And this was compounded by the fact that the Joey Gallo experiment had not panned out.
So now you had two struggling veterans blocking the path and potential playing time for these two young players. Now the voices could be heard loud and clear. Baldelli, get those guys out of the way and let the youngsters take over.
Kepler Starts his Renaissance
Then something strange happened. Kepler’s batting average started to go up. This happened in a very subtle way and was almost unnoticeable. But rise it did and at the end of June, his average had risen to .203 and his home runs and RBIs were still also on the rise. The voices were still booming but a few folks out there paused for a moment to consider the turnaround.
July continued to follow this upward trend and was highlighted by Kepler’s four RBI game against Kansas City on the July 4. He also added a three RBI effort against Seattle on July 17. By the end of July, he had raised his batting average to .232. Something was definitely in the air and Twins’ fans stood up and took notice.
By the end of August, the voices were now just a faint hum wafting over Target Field. Kepler had six home runs that month and drove in 11 runners. And he raised his season’s average to .252. Was Max Kepler all the way back.? Had he found the “Fountain of Youth?”
His numbers have stagnated a little bit to date, but he continues to be a consistent cog on a team heading to the playoffs. He has returned to his place as a dynamic presence in the middle of the Twins’ batting order.
The Future Looks bright for Max Kepler
Kepler attributes his turnaround to a healthier mind, body, and a tweak to his mechanics. He suffered a fractured toe last year and tried to play through it. The toe is now healed, and his swing and his overall play have improved. He has also learned to drown out those voices that had questioned his place on the team the past three seasons. And Kepler and Twins’ hitting coach David Popkins have made a slight adjustment to Max’s leg kick on his swing.
Whatever the reason for the turnaround, Kepler can once again smile as he walks through the Twins’ clubhouse. And those voices have been silenced, hopefully forever. The Twins and their fans are just happy to have the old Max Kepler in the lineup. Maybe he’ll be the key to the Twins sustaining a long playoff run.
