Max Kepler
| Max Kepler | |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins – No. 67 | |
| Outfielder | |
|
Born: February 10, 1993 Berlin, Germany | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
Maximilian Kepler-Rozycki (born February 10, 1993) is a German professional baseball outfielder. He plays in minor league baseball in the organization of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. Before signing with the Twins, he played for Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg of Bundesliga. He is left-handed.
Biography
Kepler was born in Berlin, Germany. His parents, Kathy Kepler and Marek Rozycki were both professional ballet dancers and 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 in Berlin,[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]
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, but he is expected to play for the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Class A Midwest League.[9]
After the 2013 season, the Twins added Kepler to their 40-man roster.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Twins' Kepler-Rozycki is in his element | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Max Kepler-Rozycki: "Das ist wie bei der Bundeswehr" :: Homepage - Sport - Das MZ-Samstagsinterview :: Mittelbayerische Zeitung" (in German). www.mittelbayerische.de. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ "B.Z.-Besuch beim Berliner Baseball-Nachwuchsstar Max Kepler-Rozycki in Florida : Wunderkind vermisst die Kälte und die S-Bahn - B.Z. Berlin" (in German). Bz-berlin.de. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 ZEIT ONLINE GmbH, Hamburg, Germany (August 13, 2010). "Baseball: Die Ballet-Ikone mit Baseball-Stollen | Sport | ZEIT ONLINE" (in German). Zeit.de. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Schlagen für die große Baseball-Zukunft :: Homepage - Sport - Buchbinder Legionäre - Legionäre News :: Mittelbayerische Zeitung" (in German). www.mittelbayerische.de. January 26, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ Smith, Cameron (July 7, 2009). "Baseball Insider - The Top European Prospect Ever". Voices.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ "European Top Prospect Max Kepler-Rozycki to sign with Minnesota Twins - Europeans in the USA, News - German Baseball Leagues - Mister Baseball". Mister-baseball.com. July 4, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ Davis, Danny. "Relearning game, nuturing talent in Tennessee". Star Tribune (StarTribune.com). Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ↑ "Chart: Update on injuries to Twins' prospects". Star Tribune. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- ↑ Berardino, Mike (November 20, 2013). "Minnesota Twins add Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco to 40-man roster". TwinCities.com. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
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