When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Max Kepler to a one-year, $10 million dollar contract in the offseason, he was touted as their everyday solution to the ongoing left field problem. The corner outfield position had been an issue for years. Kepler hasn't solved the problem, and has just made things more complicated, despite his 2025 salary.
Kepler hasn't performed well, or consistently, enough to warrant every day left field duties. The left-handed hitter's struggles against right-handed pitching (and left-handed pitching) has put manager Rob Thomson in a tough spot. The skipper hasn't had anyone else to lean on.
Max Kepler is pushing the Phillies to the limit with his poor play
After the Phillies' embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros this week, it feels like things are close to coming to a head. The Athletic's Matt Gelb believes that the Phillies haven't reached a breaking point yet with Kepler, but that it's coming (subscription required).
With a slate of right-handed pitchers on the schedule for the Phillies over the next week, Gelb asserts that, "He must perform, or the Phillies will consider alternatives."
Kepler has been infuriatingly inconsistent at the plate this season. Heading into Friday, he was hitting just .167 in June. He's slashing .209/.300/.383 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs in 72 games this season, but has started only 60 of the team's 81 contests. He started on Thursday — the first time since last Saturday against the New York Mets — and didn't look good.
He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He didn't hustle out a grounder (indeed, slowing down before first base) that could have helped avoid a double play. Then, he bobbled a routine base hit in the eighth inning on a play in which he had a chance to throw out the winning run at home.
CAM SMITH COMES THROUGH! #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/Y6dtPpXF9J
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 26, 2025
Apparently, following the game, he made remarks about how hard it has been to not play every day, but also that he was told he would be the everyday left fielder, according to Gelb. That doesn't sound like a player who's happy with his role. He might want to look in the mirror.
Likewise, the Phillies can't be happy with what they've got for their $10 million investment. It's hard for Thomson to keep running Kepler's stone-cold bat out there daily. He's hitting .222 versus lefties, and just .205 versus righties. Woof.
Yikes https://t.co/XSgAaBqr7X pic.twitter.com/AA9btBlIq4
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) June 27, 2025
Change might be on the horizon for this Phillies roster. Gelb points out that the Phillies waited until July 12 to release a struggling Whit Merrifield last summer — and he was a beloved clubhouse guy. Kepler's time in Philly might be even shorter. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski isn't going to wait around for a player barely hitting over the Mendoza line, especially with a trip to the World Series on the line.
Otto Kemp hasn't torn the cover off the ball in his first three weeks in the majors as he finds his footing, but he also doesn't look out of place hitting against big league pitching. He has now made three starts in left field as he learns the job on the fly.
Phillies No. 3 MLB Pipeline prospect Justin Crawford continues raking in Triple-A, and it feels like he's on the verge of a call-up. He's slashing .332/.408/.435 with 26 stolen bases and just hit his second home run of the year to go along with his 14 doubles and three triples. Adding him to the outfield mix might have to happen at some point. He won't be the lineup's savior, but any kind of spark might be nice.
How long does Kepler have left? It will likely depend on if he can pull out of his June swoon over the next week. One thing's for sure, after his post-game comments, Phillies fans won't be sad to see him go.