Minneapolis – The Minnesota Twins didn’t end their series in Toronto like they were hoping to on Wednesday, losing 9-8 to the Blue Jays after leading in the eighth inning.
But one of the highlights of their 7-5 win on Tuesday was right fielder Matt Wallner hitting 20 home runs on the season for the first time in his career. After Mickey Gasper hit the game-tying homer in the top of the ninth off Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman, Wallner came through with the big three-run shot that put the Twins up 7-5.
However, Wallner has the lowest number of RBI (35) among any player who’s hit 20 home runs. Wallner’s low RBI total in 321 plate appearances is a concerning outcome for some fans. However, Wallner isn’t overly concerned about it. He wants to provide a big swing for the team every time he’s up there.
“It’s good,” Wallner said. “Obviously, the more home runs, the better. It’s something I haven’t gotten to yet, so it’s always good to reach it.”
“Yeah, it’s been great,” said teammate Kody Clemens. “He obviously has a ton of power, and he’s strung together a ton of good at-bats, but it was great for him to supply the power and put some runs on the board for us the whole series.”
The 20 home runs also put Wallner in an illustrious club of homegrown talent. He’s now the fourth Minnesota-born Twins player to have 20 or more home runs in a season, joining Joe Mauer (2009), Dave Winfield (1993), and Kent Hrbek (10 of his 14 seasons).
For a Twins fan who grew up cheering for Mauer and hearing all the stories about Hrbek and Winfield from friends and family who saw them play, it’s a special honor that Wallner doesn’t take lightly.
“That’s awesome,” he said. “Definitely not something I thought I would be a part of growing up, but it’s very cool.”
“Yeah, he’s always been dangerous,” said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “And he always gets on some version of a hot streak, that, shoot, he hits more home runs in a week sometimes than other guys hit in a month or two. He’s always had that ability. He does big things, and he does a lot of damage.”
Despite the low RBI total and .215 batting average on the year, Wallner’s 20 homers have helped him produce a .823 OPS, well above the league average (.720). He has the second-highest OPS on the team (minimum 300 plate appearances), only behind Byron Buxton at .870. However, before Wallner’s go-ahead homer in the 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays, he had been struggling to strike for power in high and medium leverage spots.
Wallner had .111/.319/.278 slash line in high-leverage spots, with just two homers and four RBI. The 3-run home run on Tuesday brought his slash line up slightly to .125/.327/.350 and doubled his RBI total. Despite his lack of production in high-leverage spots throughout the year, the latest home run indicates that he will not be the first player ever to have a 20 home run season and fewer than 40 RBI.
“There are going to be some peaks and valleys in there,” said Baldelli. “Again, what he’s done this year is really not that much different than he’s done the last two years. Now he’s had some stints where he’s been in Triple-A. He’s been injured a couple of times. All that said, he’s been productive.
Wallner didn’t get any RBI to draw closer to 40 in Friday night’s game against the Padres, but he had a career first in the game, which did come as a bit of a surprise to his teammates. He stole two bases in a game, and Byron Buxton stole third base for the first time in his career. So which of the two feats came as more of a surprise to his teammates?
“The big fella,” said fellow outfielder Trevor Larnach. “Yeah, I think that surprises most people. As you saw, they’re starting to pick off a little bit here and there. I think the aggressive game is fun. And why not?”
“Yeah, we were going through it in the coaches’ room,” said Baldelli. “Greatest Show on Turf, Nine Innings of Hell. It used to be 40 minutes at the University of Arkansas, I think, at one point. Yeah, let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
