StaTuesday: Anatomy of Twins' home run streak

By Dave Heller
Published

The Minnesota Twins might not be baseball's most powerful team, but they might be the most efficient.

The Twins are tied for 21st in the majors with 40 home runs in their 32 games. However, Minnesota is bunching those homers together.

In those 32 games, the Twins have hit at least one home run in 24 of them (75 percent). In addition, Minnesota is currently on a streak of hitting a home run in a 15 consecutive games, which is one shy of the club record set in 1979.

Minnesota had multiple homer six times during that '79 run; this year, just four times in the 15 games.

Before this season, no Twins team had a streak as long as 12 games since 2002.
















































































































Dates Streak Total HR Record
April 28-May 15, 1979 16 28 11-5
April 25, 2017-current 15 25 10-5
Aug. 4-17, 1988 14 19 10-4
April 18-May 3, 1986 14 27 5-9
May 23-June 6, 1987 13 24 8-5
July 14-26, 2002 12 27 10-2
April 30-May 13, 1970 12 18 8-4



The 1979 team had eight player home during their 16-game streak. Catcher Butch Wynegar his five of his seven homers that season in that span while FOX Sports North announcer Roy Smalley smashed six.


























































































Player HR
Glenn Adams 2
John Castino 1
Ron Jackson 4
Craig Kusick 3
Ken Landreaux 3
Willie Norwood 2
Roy Smalley 6
Rob Wilfong 2
Butch Wynegar 5



This year's Twins team has seen 10 different players homer during the 15-game streak, including one by a player no longer with the franchise. Joe Mauer's walk-off winner on May 5 against Boston was the only homer that game.


































































































Player HR
Byron Buxton 1
Jason Castro 1
Brian Dozier 2
Eduardo Escobar 2
Robbie Grossman 1
Joe Mauer 2
Eddie Rosario 1
Miguel Sano 4
Danny Santana 1
Kennys Vargas 3



If this year's Minnesota team is going to tie the franchise record for consecutive games with a home run, it'll have to avoid a bit of a coincidence. That streak in 1979 just happened to end at home and -- wait for it -- on May 16. (We also will hate to point out that Colorado's starter Tuesday is rookie Kyle Freeland, who has allowed just one homer in 40 innings.)

Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow, Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns