Twins' Max Kepler Still Adjusting To Hitting In The Big Leagues
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Twins have taken two from the Miami Marlins and showed some offensive life in the process.
That's the goal for Max Kepler, to show he's got some consistent pop in his bat. As Mike Max explains, he could watch one of his opponents this week.
Ichiro Suzuki is the epitome of a hitter. He spent one season in Seattle with Paul Molitor as his hitting coach.
"You try to learn your hitters and know what they do when they're going well. And the biggest thing when he got off what he was doing, hopefully I could offer something to help him get back on track," Molitor said.
To hit a baseball, do it at this level and you will make millions. That's what Max Kepler is trying to figure out, so he comes out early to take needed batting practice.
"You just learn to try to stay positive and keep the same mindset every day because this game up here at this level will bury you," Kepler said.
Under the watchful eye of hitting coach Tom Brunansky, he is being evaluated, and he hopes, elevated. Kepler came to the game late, so it's Bruno's job to understand not just the curve, but the learning curve.
"You know Max didn't start until he was late so that side of the game he is still trying to pick up on," Brunansky said. "So you give him little hints and little tips and things that you've gone and experienced over the course of your career. Little baby bits, because too much will probably inundate him."
Because he may never approach 3,000 hits, but he wants to learn how to hit and become an everyday big leaguer.
"Mentally the pitchers, the big league pitchers are going to know that I'm a little impatient right now and I just want to go up there and hack. I just have to learn to trust my ability and lay off those pitches in the dirt," Kepler said.