The Philadelphia Phillies know who their starting left fielder will be for next season.
Phillies name Max Kepler as starting left fielder for 2025
Philadelphia’s marquee offseason acquisition, Max Kepler, has earned the full-time starting role out of left field, as Phillies president Dave Dombrowski announced. Phillies Tailgate shared the news on X on Friday.
Kepler has not played a second of his 10-year MLB career in left field. He’s primarily appeared in right field, playing 927 of his 1,034 games on defense out of that slot. He’s also seen 159 games in center field.
Kepler’s strong defense should help Phillies in new slot
The German-American talent owns a career .993 fielding percentage in outfield play with a total of only 14 errors committed. His defensive chops are sure to service the Phillies in 2025, but the jury will be out on how much his effective play will translate to his new position.
Last season’s starting LF Brandon Marsh will be due for a shift now that Kepler has inherited his role. The Phillies were reported to be shopping Marsh earlier this offseason. Nevertheless, if Philadelphia opts to keep him on board, he is likely to man center field duties while Nick Castellanos — who the team has also explored trading — will reprise his role in right field, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The Phillies have high hopes that Kepler will prove himself to be a piece that can further their World Series efforts. His exceptional fielding skills, coupled with his respectable .257 batting average and .755 OPS over the last two seasons could help Philadelphia best their National League foes in next year’s playoffs should he maintain or build upon that level of productivity.
