Jason James Kubel (born May 25, 1982 in Belle Fourche, South Dakota) is a Major League Baseball designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins. Nicknamed "Wolf man" he bats left and throws right. His ability to hit for average while maintaining plate discipline make him a middle of the order type of hitter. He is also well known for his strong arm, typically from right field. He played at Highland High School in Palmdale, California.

Although he did well in a September call-up in , he suffered a serious knee injury in the Arizona Fall League in 2004, which caused him to miss the entire season. Kubel returned to action in spring training , made the Twins opening day roster, and started in right field on Opening Day. However, he got off to a slow start at the plate and was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on April 16, 2006. Kubel returned to the Twins lineup on May 23, 2006, as a replacement for the injured Shannon Stewart. He hit well in his return, including a game-winning, walk-off grand slam in the 12th inning against the Boston Red Sox on June 13, 2006. After that, continued soreness in his knees limited his playing time and success for the rest of the 2006 season. His statistics showed improvements, playing 128 games with 418 at-bats. On July 6, 2007, Kubel drove in a career high seven runs in a 20-14 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

During the season, Kubel primarily played in the designated hitter slot due to the acquisition of left fielder Delmon Young from the Tampa Bay Rays. On April 17, 2009 Kubel hit for the cycle against the Los Angeles Angels in the Twins' home stadium-the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. After a double in the 1st inning, single in the 3rd, triple in the 6th, and strikeout in the 7th, Kubel capped the Twins' 7-run 8th inning with an upper-deck grand-slam to right-center field. His slam marked the Twins' 11-9 come-from-behind win as closer Joe Nathan pitched a 1-2-3 9th. Kubel finished the game (4-5) with 2 runs scored and 5 RBI. On June 4, 2009 Kubel hit two three-run home runs in a 11-3 win over the Cleveland Indians and hit another pair of three-run home runs to defeat the Kansas City Royals on October 4, 2009.

External links

• Jason Kubel: The Forgotten Hero (Minnesota Public Radio).