Jason Kubel

Jason James Kubel, born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, was drafted by the Twins late in the 2000 MLB Draft.

Kubel broke out in rookie ball in 2001, posting a .922 OPS. He continued to skyrocket through the Twins system as a toolsy corner outfielder, culminating with him playing in the 2004 Futures Game on his way to a 1.022 OPS across Double- and Triple-A that season. He was such a force that year the Twins called him up on August 31st and he played 23 MLB games that season.

Disaster struck later that fall as Kubel was playing in the Arizona Fall League and suffered a knee injury, causing him to miss the entirety of the 2005 season. Heading into that season, Baseball America had Kubel ranked as the 17th best prospect in baseball.

When Kubel returned to baseball in 2006, he was no longer the same player. Once a capable athlete, lingering knee soreness plagued Kubel for the rest of his career and he quickly transitioned to being a full-time designated hitter.

Nonetheless, Kubel was a left-handed force in the Twins lineup. During seven seasons of play with the Twins, Kubel posted a .794 OPS, good for a 112 OPS+.

After reaching free agency, Kubel signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and also played briefly with the Cleveland Indians. In 2014, he returned to Minnesota where he played 45 games with the Twins, ending his MLB career.

• Is brother-in-law to Twins player Michael Tonkin
• Jason Kubel hit the first ever home run at Target Field on Monday, April 12, 2010 in the bottom of the 7th inning off Boston Red Sox reliever Scott Atchison.