Max

Kepler

Kepler’s homer against Richard Fitts checked in at 107.7 mph. He’s batting just .207/.305/.372, but his exit velocity numbers are all better than his career marks, and it’d be reasonable to expect some improvement over the final two months.

Kepler is presumably day-to-day heading into Friday’s series opener against the Padres. He was 1-for-3 with an RBI before exiting Wednesday’s one-sided affair at Oracle Park.

Kepler’s homer off Dylan Cease was his 10th of the season. This is actually just the sixth time all year that he’s driven in two runs in a game, and he’s never knocked in more than that. The Phillies were hoping from more from their free agent signing, but Kepler’s current .685 OPS is basically a match for what he did in 2022 and 2024, with 2023 standing out as his only really positive season in the last five years.

Kepler finds himself on the bench as Philadelphia faces a left-handed starting pitcher for the third consecutive game. The streak comes to an end on Thursday when Astros ace Hunter Brown draws the starting assignment. It’ll be rookie Otto Kemp in left field once again to open Wednesday night’s contest.

Stott will join fellow left-handed hitters Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh on the bench for the Phillies to start this one. Edmundo Sosa will start in Stott’s place at second base and will bat seventh for the Phillies.

Kepler drew a walk in the fourth inning and scored on a base-loaded hit batter. After drawing another walk in the sixth, he delivered the go-ahead run on a solo homer off Chad Green in the eighth. The 32-year-old outfielder is up to eight homers while slashing .214/.303/.398 across 234 plate appearances.

Four homers in seven games have raised Kepler’s OPS to .817. That he’s sitting against lefties holds down his value, but maybe the Phillies will have a change of heart and opt to use him a full-time player, as they said they would after signing him. He has some of the best exit velocity numbers of his career, and he’s also striking out a tad less than usual.

Kepler gave Philadelphia a lead of 6-2 with a solo homer off an ineffective Jake Irvin. The 32-year-old has been solid — if unspectacular — in his first full month with the Phillies, but it’s nice to see some power showing up with homers in two of the last four games after just one roundtripper in the month of April prior to that run.

Kepler knocked a base hit in the second inning, then put the Phillies on the board with a single in the fourth to drive in a run. He later extended the team lead with a solo homer off Ethan Roberts in the seventh inning. The 32-year-old outfielder is off to a strong start with his new team, hitting .267/.357/.407 with two homers and 12 runs scored across 98 plate appearances.

This is noteworthy because the Nationals are starting left-hander MacKenzie Gore. It was assumed that Kepler might sit against lefties, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, at least while Weston Wilson is on the IL. Given his strong home ballpark and good lineup around him, Kepler as an everyday player could provide sneaky fantasy value. The Phillies’ full lineup is: Trea Turner SS, Bryce Harper 1B, Alec Bohm 3B, Kyle Schwarber DH, J.T. Realmuto C, Max Kepler LF, Nick Castellanos RF, Bryson Stott 2B, and Brandon Marsh CF.