Twins

Strikeouts and homers aplenty for Twins

March 25, 2019 at 4:02AM

Left fielder Eddie Rosario led the Twins last season with 24 home runs and is part of a group of younger players who probably haven’t hit their ceiling yet. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Baseball's three true outcome statistics are home runs, strikeouts and walks, events that involve no defensive plays, only the batter, pitcher and catcher.

A major league record 6,105 home runs were hit in 2017, and the Yankees hit a record 267 last season.

Strikeouts have increased every season since 2003, reaching a high of 41,207 last season (when the White Sox fanned a record 1,572 times).

The Twins' record for home runs in a season is 225 (in 1963) and for strikeouts it is 1,430 (in 2013).

They could threaten those records with the additions of Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron. In past seasons, Miguel Sano has been on pace to set a major league single-season strikeout record before being derailed by injuries.

Here are the Twins' projected regulars and their career highs in home runs and strikeouts:

DH Nelson Cruz: 44 HR, 164 K

2B Jonathan Schoop: 32 HR,142 K

1B C.J. Cron: 30 HR, 145 K

3B Miguel Sano: 28 HR, 178 K

LF Eddie Rosario: 27 HR, 118 K

IF Marwin Gonzalez: 23 HR, 118 K

RF Max Kepler: 20 HR, 114 K

C Jason Castro: 18 HR, 151 K

1B Tyler Austin: 17 HR, 95 K

CF Byron Buxton: 16 HR,150 K

SS Jorge Polanco: 13 HR, 78 K