The Minnesota Twins’ international scout Andy Johnson first observed Kepler when the 14-year-old was competing in a junior national tournament.
For the first time in MLB history, a European-born player received a signing bonus of more than $800,000 at the age of 16.
In the Gulf Coast League (GCL) in 2010, Kepler made his American debut with the GCL Twins. Rookie-Advanced Appalachian League team the Elizabethton Twins promoted him in 2011.
For the 2012 season, he was allocated to Elizabethton. Kepler’s 2013 season got off to a slow start because of an elbow injury he sustained while playing for the Class A Midwest League’s Cedar Rapids Kernels.
The Minnesota Twins sent Kepler to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League following the regular season.
Twins re-signed Kepler after the 2013 season and welcomed him to spring training. A former Class A-Advanced Florida State League outfielder, Kepler began the 2015 season with the Southern League’s Chattanooga Lookouts.
To his dismay, he was unable to play in the 2015 Futures Game for the Twins because of soreness in his shoulder. In 2015, Kepler batted .327 with nine home runs and 18 steals of bases. He was voted the best player in the Southern League.
How Much Does Max Kepler Make?
Max Kepler has a yearly salary of $7,000,000 on average. Kepler will be paid a base salary of $6,750,000 in 2022.