Max Kepler has ‘some work to do’ to get his hitting where he wants it

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed outfielder Max Kepler on June 7, and he made his debut for the club on June 26. In a lineup that’s been desperate for consistent success, Kepler was hitless in his first nine at-bats and is working to find his approach.

The outfielder earned his first hit in the uniform on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, legging out a double to center field.

Kepler is a career .235 hitter with a .739 OPS. He missed the start of the 2026 season while he served an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

Without any spring training, Kepler is making up for lost time to find his rhythm.

“I think timing is there. I think maybe I’m just trying to do a little too much with too many pitches and not just hunting the one select pitch, which you usually do when you’re locked in, and you lay off the rest,” Kepler told reporters before Tuesday’s game. “I think right now I’m trying to swing at everything, which I’m not really surprised with given where I stand right now at like 25 at-bats in the last two weeks.

 

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“So I’m not trying to make excuses, but I have to be patient with myself here and just deliver the work day in, day out and trust my ability.”

Kepler’s best season came in 2019 with the Minnesota Twins when he hit .252 with an .855 OPS, 36 home runs and 90 RBIs.

He came close to that production in 2023, hitting .260 with an .816 OPS, 24 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Kepler’s power fell off in 2024 (eight home runs), but he put together a productive season in Philadelphia last year despite hitting .216 with an OPS below .700.

The veteran still had 18 home runs, 52 RBIs and drew 48 walks. The D-backs are hoping he can provide some of that pop and run creation to their lineup for the second half of the season.

Max Kepler at Chase Field

Many players see the ball better at certain ballparks throughout their careers

Kepler, for instance, has a .349 average and 1.068 OPS in 48 plate appearances at Camden Yards (Baltimore) and hits .367 with a 1.077 OPS at Wrigley Field.

However, while it’s a small sample size, the new Diamondback had four hits in 32 plate appearances (.129 BA) at Chase Field entering Tuesday.

“I don’t think I’ve hit or seen the ball too well in the past, which I’ve been trying to make a transition here and maybe change my sights, or just get out there and get more reps in,” Kepler said. “I trust that with time, my vision and my peripherals will hopefully expand.

“But with my small sample size, I wouldn’t say that I was the hottest hitter here. I’ve got some work to do.”

Kepler is a career .252 hitter at Target Field (Minnesota), where he spent the first 10 years of his career, with a .785 OPS so he has favored his home ballpark throughout his career.

After finding his first hit as a D-backs Tuesday, the outfielder blooped a single into center field to start the night 2-for-2 at the plate.

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