Twins' Nelson Cruz has been MLB's hottest slugger since break

Nelson Cruz has been swinging the hottest bat in the majors since the All-Star break.

The Minnesota Twins' designated hitter leads MLB with 14 home runs, 26 RBI, 70 total bases, a .933 slugging percentage and a 1.372 OPS since the break after hitting four homers during a weekend series with the Kansas City Royals.

No other player -- including teammate Max Kepler -- has more than nine home runs over that span.

They're no "Bomba Squad," but the Atlanta Braves, who visit Target Field on Monday, are also hitting home runs at an impressive pace.

Atlanta is up to 176 home runs in 113 games this season, a franchise record and the 16th-best pace in major-league history. They rank seventh overall this season.

Minnesota, which has hit 217 home runs in just 111 games, smashed their own record a while back. The 1964 Twins -- led by Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Bob Allison -- hit 173 home runs in 111 games, the previous franchise record.

There's more to these Twins than the long ball, however. Second baseman Luis Arraez has been piling up base hits since debuting in May.

The 22-year-old is having one of the best rookie seasons in Twins history. Arraez is hitting .353 through 46 games, which ranks second in Twins history over that span. Oliva, who debuted in 1962, hit .403 through his first 46 games.

Statistics via Sportradar