History of Max Kepler in Timeline

Maximilian Kepler-Różycki is a German-American professional baseball outfielder currently playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in MLB. He debuted in MLB in 2015 with the Minnesota Twins, where he played previously. Before joining the Twins, Kepler played for Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg in the Baseball-Bundesliga. A left-handed batter and thrower, Kepler holds the record for the most career home runs by a German-born player in MLB.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1951: Bobby Thomson Home Runs

In 1951, Bobby Thomson hit 32 home runs.

April 11, 1961: Ted Kluszewski Home Runs

On April 11, 1961, Ted Kluszewski of the Angels hit a home run in the first two innings of the season.

February 10, 1993: Max Kepler Born

On February 10, 1993, Maximilian Kepler-Różycki was born. He is a German-American professional baseball outfielder.

Others born on this day/year

2008: Attended St. Emmeram Academy

In 2008, Max Kepler attended the St. Emmeram Academy in Regensburg, which allowed him to train in baseball more than the average American teenager.

2009: Signed with the Minnesota Twins

In 2009, at the age of 16, Max Kepler signed with the Minnesota Twins for US$800,000, which was the largest signing bonus given by an MLB franchise to a European-born player.

2010: American Debut

In 2010, Max Kepler made his American debut in the rookie level Gulf Coast League (GCL) with the GCL Twins.

2010: Twins Miss Postseason

The 2010 season was the last time the Twins reached the postseason.

2011: Promoted to Elizabethton Twins

In 2011, Max Kepler was promoted to the Elizabethton Twins of the Rookie-Advanced Appalachian League.

2012: Assigned to Elizabethton

For the 2012 season, Max Kepler was assigned to Elizabethton.

2013: Added to Twins 40-man Roster

After the 2013 season, the Twins added Max Kepler to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and he was invited to spring training.

2013: Assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels

In 2013, after an elbow injury delayed the start of his season, Max Kepler was assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Single–A Midwest League.

2014: Played for Fort Myers Miracle

In 2014, Max Kepler played for the Fort Myers Miracle of the High–A Florida State League.

September 21, 2015: Promotion to Major Leagues

On September 21, 2015, Max Kepler was promoted to the major leagues by the Minnesota Twins.

September 27, 2015: MLB Debut

On September 27, 2015, Max Kepler made his major league debut.

October 4, 2015: First MLB Hit

On October 4, 2015, Max Kepler recorded his first hit in Major League Baseball.

2015: Southern League Player of the Year

In 2015, Max Kepler finished the season with a .327 batting average, nine home runs, and 18 stolen bases, earning him the title of Southern League Player of the Year.

2015: MLB Debut

In 2015, Max Kepler made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Minnesota Twins.

2016: Joins Twins Major League Roster

In 2016, Max Kepler was promoted to the major leagues to replace the injured Danny Santana on April 10. Kepler was optioned to Rochester fifteen days later. On June 1, Kepler was recalled to replace the injured Miguel Sanó, and he began getting regular starts for the Twins in right field.

2017: Twins Reach Postseason

During the 2017 season, Max Kepler played in 147 games, hitting 19 home runs and had 69 RBI, helping the Twins reach the postseason for the first time since 2010. He went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in the 2017 American League Wild Card Game, but the Twins were defeated by the New York Yankees.

2017: Opening Day Starter

In 2017, Max Kepler was an Opening Day starter for the first time, collecting a hit in his first at-bat of the season against the Kansas City Royals. Later in the season, on August 31, he became the second player in Twins history to have a walk-off hit by the pitch in a game against the Chicago White Sox.

April 11, 2018: Walk-Off Home Run

On April 11, 2018, Max Kepler hit a walk-off home run against Brad Peacock of the defending champion Houston Astros.

February 14, 2019: Signs $35 Million Contract

On February 14, 2019, Max Kepler signed a five-year, $35 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, including a team option for the 2024 season.

2019: Single Season Home Run Record

In 2019, Max Kepler finished the season with 36 home runs, setting the single season Major League record for home runs by a European-born player.

2020: 2020 Season Stats

Max Kepler finished the 2020 season with a .228 batting average, hitting nine home runs and driving in 23 runs.

2022: 2022 Season Performance

In the 2022 season, Max Kepler batted .227 with nine home runs and 43 runs batted in. His performance was hampered by a toe injury in the second half, leading to him being shut down in early September.

November 2, 2023: Twins Exercise Team Option

On November 2, 2023, the Twins exercised their $10 million team option on Max Kepler.

2023: Bounce Back Season

In 2023, Max Kepler had a bounce back season, batting .260 and leading the Twins with 24 home runs. He was especially strong in the second half, batting .306 after the All-Star break, which helped the Twins win their third American League Central title in five seasons.

June 14, 2024: Target Field Home Run Record

On June 14, 2024, Max Kepler broke the Target Field home run record against the Oakland Athletics and also delivered a walk-off single later that night.