Phillies’ new slugger felt good in Spring Training debut with new hitting approach
Phillies may get best of Max Kepler with refined repertoire
According to ClutchPoints’ Brayden Haena, the Phillies’ notable offseason acquisition likes the way his hitting technique is translating at the plate:
“It felt good,” Kepler said. “With more repetition, the ball will get bigger. Just having good quality at-bats is the key to the whole progression.”
“His adjustments came after spending time with Long in Arizona, where the hitting coach recommended three key changes: getting into his legs more for better balance, moving closer to the plate to better handle outside pitches, and tipping his bat slightly toward the dugout instead of keeping it straight up,” Haena reported.
Kepler could improve efficiency and power in 2025
Kepler’s .260 batting average in 2023 and .253 average in 2024 were the two highest of his career. However, despite becoming more efficient at the plate, he hit a paltry eight home runs last season across 105 games played, as opposed to the 24 he bounced back within 2023 across 130 games.
The 32-year-old is not too far removed from his peak 2019 campaign where he smacked 36 home runs along with 90 RBIs to the tune of a .252 average. It is Philadelphia’s hope that Kepler’s improved mechanics will allow him to trend back toward that level of productivity in 2025.
Kepler is looking forward to hitting the ball harder with the Phillies. He believes that he now has more time to key in on the ball and manipulate the bat head, as Haena also highlighted. If he resurges again, Philadelphia will have yet another strong bat to complement their already stout order.
