Max Kepler

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Max Kepler
File:Max Kepler Spring 2016.jpg
Minnesota Twins – No. 26
Outfielder
Born: (1993-02-10) February 10, 1993 (age 31)
Berlin, Germany
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
September 27, 2015, for the Minnesota Twins
Career statistics
(through April 24, 2016)
Batting average .158
Home runs 0
Runs batted in 0
Teams

Maximilian Kepler (born February 10, 1993) is a German professional baseball outfielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Before signing with the Twins, he played for Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg of Bundesliga. He is left-handed.

Early life

Kepler was born in Berlin, Germany. His parents, Kathy Kepler and Marek Rozycki, were both professional ballet dancers; they met when they performed in the same ballet company in Berlin.[1] His mother is from San Antonio, Texas,[2] while his father is from Poland.[1] Kepler is 1.92 metres (6 ft 4 in) tall[2] and weighs 98 kilograms (216 lb).[3] Max has one sister.[1]

At the age of six, Kepler started baseball at the Little League level with the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin.[4] Though he received a scholarship at age seven to the Steffi Graf Tennis Foundation,[1] he decided he preferred baseball.[4] Kepler attended John F. Kennedy School,[2] and the St. Emmeram Academy in Regensburg in 2008, where he was able to train in baseball more than the average American teenager.[5][6] He played association football with Hertha BSC,[2] and played baseball for Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg of Bundesliga, the highest baseball league in Germany.[2][7]

American baseball career

Andy Johnson, an international scout working for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB), first noticed Kepler when he played in a junior national tournament at the age of 14.[1] He signed with the Twins in 2009 for US$800,000, the largest signing bonus given by an MLB franchise to a European-born player.[2][5] Kepler made his American debut in the Rookie-level in 2010 Gulf Coast League (GCL) with the GCL Twins. He was promoted to the Elizabethton Twins of the Rookie-Advanced Appalachian League in 2011. He was assigned to Elizabethton for the 2012 season.[8] An elbow injury delayed the start of Kepler's 2013 season, when he was assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Class A Midwest League.[9] Following the regular season, the Twins assigned Kepler to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League.[10]

After the 2013 season, the Twins added Kepler to their 40-man roster and he was invited to spring training.[11] Kepler played for the Fort Myers Miracle of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in 2014, and opened the 2015 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class AA Southern League.[12] Kepler was selected to represent the Twins at the 2015 All-Star Futures Game,[13] though a sore shoulder prevented him from playing.[14] Kepler finished the 2015 season with a .327 batting average, nine home runs and 18 stolen bases. He was named Southern League Player of the Year.[15]

The Twins promoted Kepler to the major leagues on September 21, the night after the Lookouts won the Southern League championship.[16] He made his major league debut on September 27, and recorded his first hit on October 4.[17]

The Twins assigned Kepler to the Rochester Red Wings of the Class AAA International League to start the 2016 season.[18] After playing in two games for Rochester, the Twins promoted him to the major leagues to replace the injured Danny Santana on April 10.[19] Fifteen days later, Kepler was optioned to Rochester.[20]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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