The year of the call-up continues. On Monday night the Minnesota Twins rewarded prospect Max Kepler with a promotion to the MLB soon after the 22-year-old helped Double-A Chattanooga win the Southern League championship.
Minnesota sits only three games behind the Houston Astros for the second AL wild-card spot and will begin a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians tonight. Perhaps they feel Kepler, who has played every outfield position in the minors this season as well as first base, could be a key contributor during the team's final 13 games.
#MNTwins call up Southern League Champion and Player of the Year, @Kepleroni, to join the Major League squad. pic.twitter.com/ClLefG9xhF
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 22, 2015
.@kepleroni, a Berlin, Germany native, will join the #MNTwins for tonight's game against CLE and will wear No. 67. pic.twitter.com/gHhr4XSEcR
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 22, 2015
Kepler was named Most Valuable Player of the Southern League earlier this month. The organization's No. 4-ranked prospect (according to Baseball America) finished the season batting .318/.410/.520 with 80 runs scored, 9 home runs, 71 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 118 games between High Class-A Fort Myers and Chattanooga.
"Kepler, considered the highest-profile prospect to be signed out of Europe in baseball history, was signed as an amateur free agent in 2009 out of Berlin, Germany, for $800,000," writes Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. "At the time, the bonus was the highest in history to be signed by a free agent from Europe, although it was eclipsed by the $1.3 million bonus the Royals gave Marten Gasparini in 2013."
Kepler is yet another Twins' prospect to get his first call to the MLB this season. The club has also promoted notable names such as Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano (who is an AL Rookie of the Year candidate), Tyler Duffey and Eddie Rosario - all of whom are still on the roster.
