History of Max Kepler in Timeline

Maximilian Kepler-Różycki, known as Max Kepler, is a German-American professional baseball outfielder currently playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. He debuted in MLB in 2015 with the Minnesota Twins, where he played for several years. Before joining the MLB, Kepler played in Germany's Baseball-Bundesliga for Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg. A left-handed batter and thrower, Kepler holds the record for the most career home runs by a German-born player in MLB. His career highlights include a consistent presence in the Twins' outfield and setting a significant home run record for German-born MLB players.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1951: Bobby Thompson's Home Run Record

In 1951, Bobby Thompson hit 32 home runs. Max Kepler passed that in 2019.

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 a season, which Kepler later repeated

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, Kepler attended St. Emmeram Academy in Regensburg to further his baseball training.

2009: Signed with the Twins

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

2010: American Debut

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

2010: Twins Reached Postseason

In 2010, the Minnesota Twins reached the postseason. In 2017, Kepler helped the Twins reach the postseason for the first time since 2010.

2011: Promoted to Elizabethton Twins

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

2012: Assigned to Elizabethton

In 2012, Kepler was assigned to Elizabethton for the season.

2013: Added to 40-Man Roster

After the 2013 season, the Twins added 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, an elbow injury delayed the start of Kepler's season, and he was assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Single–A Midwest League.

2014: Played for Fort Myers Miracle

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

September 21, 2015: Promoted to Major Leagues

On September 21, 2015, the Twins promoted Kepler to the major leagues.

September 27, 2015: Major League Debut

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

October 4, 2015: Recorded First Hit

On October 4, 2015, Kepler recorded his first hit in the major leagues.

2015: Named Southern League Player of the Year

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

2015: MLB Debut

In 2015, Max Kepler made his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins.

2016: Moved Between Rochester and the Twins

In 2016, Kepler was assigned to the Rochester Red Wings, promoted to the major leagues on April 10 to replace Danny Santana, and optioned back to Rochester fifteen days later. On June 1, he was recalled to replace Miguel Sanó.

2017: Played in 147 Games

During the 2017 season, Kepler played in 147 games, hit 19 home runs, and had 69 RBI, helping the Twins reach the postseason for the first time since 2010.

2017: Opening Day Starter

In 2017, 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. On August 31, he had 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, Kepler hit a walk-off home run against Brad Peacock of the defending champion Houston Astros.

February 14, 2019: Signed Contract with Twins

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

2019: Record for Home Runs by European-Born Player

In the 2019 season, Kepler finished with 36 home runs, setting a single-season Major League record for home runs by a European-born player. He also drove in a career-high 90 runs and finished 20th in the American League MVP voting.

2020: 2020 Season Stats

In the 2020 season, Kepler had a .228 batting average, hitting nine home runs and driving in 23 runs.

2022: 2022 Season Stats

In the 2022 season, Kepler batted .227 with nine home runs and 43 runs batted in. His performance was affected by a toe injury.

November 2, 2023: Team Option Exercised

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

2023: Bounce Back Season

In 2023, Kepler had a bounce-back season, batting .260 and leading the Twins with 24 home runs, helping the Twins win their third American League Central title in five seasons.