Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler hit three home runs in a 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland Thursday night.
Max Kepler, the Minnesota Twins right fielder, joined Ted Williams as the only two players with multiple three home run games against the Cleveland Indians.
He hit all three homers off Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer. The win allowed the Twins to avoid the first 3-game losing streak of 2019.
Along with the 3-homers, Kepler went 4-for-4 with 4 RBI’s with 3 runs scored and broke out of his slump. He had gone 0-for-21 in his last 5 games.
He has been part of the Twins resurgence this year as the team is 41-20, a staggering 10.5 games ahead of the Indians. The Indians were the favorite to win the AL Central this year, but are struggling while the Twins are surging forward.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Kepler is batting .266/.337/.542 with 15 home runs and 40 RBI’s. These are career highs as he has only averaged .237/.316/.433 over his 5-year career.
He will smash his career highs as long as he can stay healthy. He has been averaging only 20 home runs per season along with 79 RBI’s and as you can see above, he is closing in on those numbers a third of the way through the year.
He’s also part of a Twins team who offensively, is leading the major leagues in batting average at .271, tied with the Houston Astros.
The Twins are also leading the league in home runs at 117, RBI’s with 348 and runs scored with 361.
Shortstop Jorge Polanco is another big reason the Twins are playing so well. He is hitting .336/.400/.582 and is leading the league with 78 hits so far this season.
Leftfielder Eddie Rosario, who is hitting .272/.308/.545 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI’s has also been a pleasant surprise. Both Kepler and Rosario have been in the league for 5 years while Polanco had been in for 6 years.
The point is this is not just a fluke for the Minnesota Twins. They have a stable of young guys who are beginning to come into their own and should help their team be in contention for years to come.