Minnesota Twins: Will Max Kepler be traded?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… the New York Yankees have interest in another Minnesota Twins player. Unfortunately, that’s true, Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported the Yankees are among one of the few teams who’re interested in Max Kepler.
There’s a lot of history between these two teams. New York is famously known for knocking Minnesota out of the playoffs and for fleecing the Twins in trades.
Kepler’s never been really good offensively, but he’s always been a well above average hitter. His best season came in 2019, when his batting splits were .252/.336/.519 – all career bests. He also hit 36 home runs, batted in 90 RBIs and had an OPS+ of 124.
Here’s a look at his offensive numbers throughout his career:
| Year | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .143 | .143 | .143 | .286 | -21 |
| 2016 | 113 | 447 | 396 | 52 | 93 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 63 | 6 | 2 | 42 | 93 | .235 | .309 | .424 | .734 | 96 |
| 2017 | 147 | 568 | 511 | 67 | 124 | 32 | 2 | 19 | 69 | 6 | 1 | 47 | 114 | .243 | .312 | .425 | .737 | 95 |
| 2018 | 156 | 611 | 532 | 80 | 119 | 30 | 4 | 20 | 58 | 4 | 5 | 71 | 96 | .224 | .319 | .408 | .727 | 97 |
| 2019 | 134 | 596 | 524 | 98 | 132 | 32 | 0 | 36 | 90 | 1 | 5 | 60 | 99 | .252 | .336 | .519 | .855 | 124 |
| 2020 | 48 | 196 | 171 | 27 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 36 | .228 | .321 | .439 | .760 | 110 |
| 2021 | 68 | 280 | 247 | 36 | 53 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 39 | 8 | 0 | 27 | 59 | .215 | .300 | .441 | .741 | 106 |
| 7 Yr | 669 | 2705 | 2388 | 360 | 561 | 134 | 11 | 114 | 342 | 28 | 13 | 269 | 500 | .235 | .317 | .443 | .761 | 104 |
| 162 | 162 | 655 | 578 | 87 | 136 | 32 | 3 | 28 | 83 | 7 | 3 | 65 | 121 | .235 | .317 | .443 | .761 | 104 |
This season, Kepler’s been dealing with a hamstring issue and it’s easy to wonder how much it’s affected him this year. His power is still there, but it’s not as frequent as that 2019 year. While his numbers might be down, he’s always been a great defender.
Knock on wood, but he’s yet to commit an error this season in both right and centerfield – a fielding percentage of 1.000. In 2020, he committed just one error, and in 2019, a perfect 1.000.
The Yankees having an interest in Kepler doesn’t come as a surprise. ESPN’s Jeff Passan announced late Wednesday night that New York had traded for Joey Gallo – another left-handed-hitting right fielder. This move probably won’t stop New York from stockpiling on talent. Kepler having defensive versatility in the field will allow the Yankees to have numerous lineup options.
Unless the right offer comes, the Twins probably aren’t moving Kepler. He’s a fan favorite and is on a team-friendly deal.
