There are a pair of potential Southern League championships that Chattanooga Lookouts outfielder Max Kepler could attain next month.
One is a team title, something Kepler experienced last season with the Fort Myers Miracle of the high Single-A Florida State League. There is also the league's batting crown, with the 6-foot-4, 207-pounder from Berlin, Germany, factoring into that race with his .332 average in 85 games played.
"Winning the batting title would be sweet," Kepler said Sunday afternoon, "but I want to win the main title a lot more."
Kepler was held out of Sunday's 14-2 dismantling of Mobile before a season-low crowd of 1,762 at AT&T Field. He hit .342 in the first half, before Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano were promoted to the Minnesota Twins, and has continued to produce.
In Saturday night's 9-3 loss to the BayBears, Kepler collected his 11th triple of the season.
"He's held it the whole year, and he's getting better," Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz said. "Now he's starting to hit big - not just home runs but big home runs, which means to me that this is only coming with confidence. He has the freedom to let it go, and if it doesn't work out, so what?
"He's having great at-bats, and hopefully he keeps going. It would be a huge feather in his cap to finish this batting race off."
Tennessee Smokies catcher Wilson Contreras has skyrocketed in recent weeks and entered Sunday night leading the league with a .342 average, with Kepler second. Kepler hit .264 last season in Fort Myers and hit .237 with Cedar Rapids (Iowa) in the Single-A Midwest League.
Kepler was named to Minnesota's 40-man roster after the 2013 season.
The Lookouts (17-24) broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning Sunday when Stephen Wickens singled to center field to score Stuart Turner and Niko Goodrum. Wickens doubled to left in the fourth inning to score Heiker Meneses, Turner and Goodrum, which put the Lookouts up 7-1.
Wickens finished 3-for-5 with six RBIs, more than picking up the slack on a day when the team's leading hitter was given some rest.
"I'm just trying to play the same game I've been playing every day and not take anything for granted," Kepler said. "My two goals are actually to win a title and to get that call to the big leagues."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.