Once the halfway mark of the 2026 MLB season arrives, the Diamondbacks will look to see if Max Kepler can give the Arizona offense a jolt. Kepler signed with the team late on June 7, giving the D-Backs a mid-season acquisition without needing to give up any assets.
A Look at Kepler
The 2025 campaign was a complicated one for Max Kepler, who spent the year with the Phillies after he left the only organization he knew before last season. Kepler was a lifelong Twin who signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia to bolster the offense. However, it wasn’t a smooth year.
Kepler, who tweaked his swing after leaving Minnesota to be more direct, finished third on the Phillies in home runs (18) last season. He sported a sub-20% Whiff%, as well as a 10.1% BB% that ranked among the top-33% of the league last season.
Those were the positives. On the other hand, he slashed .216/.300/.391 and had one of the lowest wOBA (.300) figures among hitters with 350+ plate appearances last season.
Throughout his Major League career, Kepler has been a good fastball hitter and didn’t change last year. Fourteen of his homers came off high velocity, and to mention, Kepler had a lower swing-and-miss across the board last year on fastballs.
However, he saw more offspeed pitches last season, notable given A) how much more swing-and-miss Kepler had on changeups/splitters and B) the dip in production. The low cumulative numbers weren’t a byproduct of anything with respect to when he was making contact. Kepler continued to drive the ball with authority and rarely hit anything on the ground.
He’s a heavy pull-side batter.
Kepler went unsigned this winter. He was suspended for 80 games due to a positive PED test during the offseason.
The Diamondbacks announced the signing on June 7.
Analysis
Before anything else, Max Kepler won’t be eligible to return at the MLB level until the end of the month. However, Kepler will be allowed to partake in Minor League games to tune up before an activation once the D-Backs hit that aforementioned game total.
The Diamondbacks have shuffled around their outfield setup several times this season, as Alek Thomas was designated for assignment earlier in this spring, and Ryan Waldschmidt & Tommy Troy have been summoned to Major League action.
Waldschmidt’s been cold of late, as the rookie slashed .196/.229/.261 with just three extra-base hits over his last 13 games. Troy has been more productive, a byproduct of a higher AVG and OBP. But still, a .690 OPS over his last two weeks.
Adding Kepler gives the Diamondbacks another option as the summer progresses. Given that Corbin Carroll is the only regular left-handed hitter in that outfield (Jorge Barrosa, a switch-hitter, is their reserve outfielder), Kepler will likely be someone who can slot in against right-handed pitching.
Which makes sense, overall, since Kepler has a spotty track record against same-sided pitchers. But, a more balanced one against right-handed pitchers. Last season, Kepler slashed .217/.276/.348 over 76 plate appearances against lefties.
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