Author Kevin Goldstein of the heralded website Baseball Prospectus wrote an article this week about 10 International Prospects to Watch. One of them was 17-year-old German outfielder Max Kepler-Rozycki who made his professional debut for the Minnesota Twins last summer in the Gulf Coast League.
Max Kepler, OF, Minnesota Twins (Germany)
While Kepler’s .286/.346/.343 line last season in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League might not impress at first glance, for many scouts, and even the Twins, it was a revelation. Kepler was given the largest bonus ever for a European position player at $800,000, and few expected anything more from him than a simple acclimation year, but his athleticism allowed him to more than hold his own during his pro debut. The son of ballet dancers (his mother is American), Kepler doesn’t turn 18 until February and has the potential to be a true five-tool talent. But even something like a 2016 big-league debut should be considered optimistic.