The Minnesota Twins must find a new right fielder after Max Kepler signed with the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason. Coaches and the front office need to get creative to decide who will take over for Kepler in right field. Since the Twins have been fairly quiet in the free agent and trade market this offseason, they will likely have to look within their organization to find Kepler’s replacement.

Searching Within the Twins Organization for a New Right Fielder

DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

A dark-horse candidate for the position, DaShawn Keirsey would be a good option if the Twins are looking for a strong defensive presence in right field. Drafted from the University of Utah in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft, Keirsey is the epitome of building a team from an organization’s own farm system. As a late call-up in 2024, Keirsey only played in six games for the Twins.

Even though his 2024 MLB performance was just a small sample size, Baseball Reference does project Keirsey to hit a slash line of .242/.311/.409 in 2025. Those stats are strikingly similar to Kepler’s career average slash line of .237/.318/.429. Keirsey’s biggest hurdle will be that he is unproven at the MLB level. But for a franchise that infamously uses its farm system to build an MLB lineup, there is a strong chance he could get some time in right field.

Willi Castro

2024 All-Star Willi Castro made 59 appearances in the outfield last season. Over his career, he has a .986 fielding percentage in the outfield, slightly lower than the MLB average during that time of .988. The Twins must have a spot in the lineup every day for Castro. He appeared in 158 games in 2024 and hit .247/.331/.385 with 12 home runs and 60 RBI as a switch hitter. Adding his 14 stolen bases, Castro consistently contributes on the base paths.

An issue that may prevent Castro from being an everyday right fielder is that he is too versatile. Known as a utility player, Castro took on many key positions as injuries began to pile up. Castro’s defensive flexibility may make him too valuable to keep in one position. Even if he does not become the everyday right fielder, he most likely will spend some time in a corner outfield position.

Trevor Larnach

Trevor Larnach offers a left-handed bat with some power for the lineup. He hit 15 home runs with 52 RBI over 112 games in 2024 while hitting .259/.338/.434. With his 162-game average set at 19 home runs, 75 RBI, and a slash line of .236/.323/.403, Larnach brings some potential power to the lineup. He made 52 appearances in the outfield in 2024 with a fielding percentage of 1.000, which is well above the league average of .988. Even though he has spent some time in the outfield during his career, Larnach has also been a designated hitter. Like Castro, he is part of a platoon in more than one spot in the lineup as he has navigated the outfield and designated hitter positions. This alone may keep him out of an everyday spot in right field.

Matt Wallner

Matt Wallner is the best internal candidate to take over for Kepler as the Twins’ right fielder. Hitting .259/.372/523 in 2024, with 13 home runs and 37 RBI in 75 games, Wallner has the power to replace Kepler’s bat in the middle of the lineup. His 162-game average of 29 home runs and 88 RBI suggests that giving him a full season at a position could bring offensive rewards. Wallner also had a remarkable season in the field in 2024. Wallner split time between left and right field, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage at both spots.

With plenty of upside, there are a couple of things that could hurt Wallner’s growth into an everyday player. First, he has had to deal with some injuries in his short career.

Wallner ended his 2024 campaign with an oblique injury, but this isn’t expected to delay him when the Twins begin spring training. The other challenge he will face is limiting his strikeouts. With 95 strikeouts in 220 at-bats, Wallner’s strikeout rate of 43.2% will certainly need to improve.

Decision Time

The most likely scenario is that the Twins will fill Max Kepler’s spot in the lineup with a platoon of players.

Platooning the corner outfield position would fall in line with how they handled left field in 2024.

While each player can rotate in and out of the lineup based on matchups, it would be beneficial for the team if Wallner or Larnach takes hold of the position as an everyday starter.