Is Max Kepler's 2025 mirroring Whit Merrifield's 2024?

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Max Kepler was told he was going to play in left field every day with the Phillies, and he's a little disgruntled that he isn't.

"The biggest challenge for me is not playing routinely," Kepler said after Thursday's loss. "That's the biggest challenge... I was told I was going to be the starting left fielder."

Kepler has played in 72 out of 81 games so far this season, but he's only started 60 of them. Just three of those starts have come against left-handed pitchers: two in April and one in May – and that one was an opener.

Against lefties – albeit with a small sample size – Kepler is 10-for-45 with three doubles, one home run and five RBIs. He's slashing .222/.265/.356. 

Against righties, he's 39-for-190 with eleven doubles, eight home runs and 22 RBIs, slashing .205/.307/.389.

When Kepler was first signed to his one-year, $10 million deal back in December, Dave Dombrowski did indeed say that the plan was for him to play every day in left field. But he's mostly platooned - Edmundo Sosa, Weston Wilson and more recently Otto Kemp have all started games in left field against lefties this season.

If Kepler was indeed promised the starting left fielder job, then perhaps he does have a right to be a little miffed. However, should he really be airing those grievances out while he's hitting .209 in the middle of the lineup?

There's also this to take into consideration: Kepler is a veteran outfielder, on a one-year deal, whose batting average is hovering around the Mendoza line.

Sound familiar? It should.

Max Kepler is about to go the way of the Kepler Telescope pic.twitter.com/JfdKpok13O

— Howie Roseman’s Burner (@HowieBurner) June 27, 2025

Kepler's current slash line is .209/.300/.383. In 53 games with the Phillies last year, Whit Merrifield hit .199/.277/.295.

The situations are not identical – Kepler definitely swings a more powerful bat – but they're pretty darn similar. Kepler is on a one-year deal for $10 million; Merrifield's deal was one year, $8 million. Merrifield was also supposed to strengthen an uncertain outfield, but only ended up making it more uncertain.

Taking that into account, this is the real question: How long will Max Kepler's leash be?

Merrifield was released on July 12, 2024, when it became clear that the team needed to strengthen their attack against left-handed pitchers. With the trade deadline looming, the Phillies looked at Merrifield's lack of production, and they cut their losses.

In fact, in each of the last three seasons, if veterans don't perform by the mid-season mark, Dave Dombrowski has sent them packing. Look at Didi Gregorius in 2022, Josh Harrison in 2023 and Merrifield in 2024.

If his production doesn't increase soon, Kepler could be next. It's not like the Phillies don't have an outfield prospect who is close to the majors:

Today is June 27th

This Max Kepler issue will be fixed by July 27th

Another month of Crawford AAA at bats (who’s batting .332) and he will be called up

If the team flails giving young guys a chance, I can live with that any day

Not an aging vet on a one year deal batting .209 https://t.co/td30uEIrVL pic.twitter.com/2MZHCQWyIR

— Aidan Powers (@aidan_34_powers) June 27, 2025