There has nevÂer been a Twins team quite like the 2019 squad unÂder manÂagÂer Rocco Baldelli and the front ofÂfice of Chief BaseÂball OfÂfiÂcer DerÂek Falvey and GenÂerÂal ManÂagÂer Thad LevÂine.
AfÂter a disÂapÂpointÂing 10-inÂning loss to Seattle on WednesÂday night, the team got right back to work ThursÂday with a 10-5 victory over the MariÂners to move back to 23 games over .500.
NelÂson Cruz went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs and his 12th homÂer, and he has been on fire since reÂturnÂing to the lineÂup.
In eight games since reÂturnÂing from a wrist inÂjuÂry, Cruz is hitÂting .344 with five homÂers and nine RBI in 32 at-bats. And the Twins conÂtinÂue to roll.
They are on pace for 109 victories, which would easily top the preÂviÂous franÂchise high of 102 in 1965, when they lost the World Series in seven games to the DodÂgers.
But just as imÂpresÂsive as their win total is the way they are doing it, by hitÂting a ton of home runs.
The team is on pace for 319 home runs. Their preÂviÂous franÂchise high was 225 in 1963. They also have scored 404 runs on the season; last year they reached that number on July 13.
"I don't think it has ever hapÂpened beÂfore," Baldelli said aÂbout the powÂer proÂducÂtion from his lineÂup. "So I don't know if you can exÂpect someÂthing like that. But I'll say it aÂgain: We have high exÂpecÂtaÂtions for our playÂers, and they have high exÂpecÂtaÂtions for themÂselves. I don't think anyÂthing that hapÂpens on a daily baÂsis here, I don't think it surÂprisÂes them beÂcause I think they beÂlieve in what they're doing."
The 1963 club feaÂtured some great power hitÂters. HarÂmon KillÂeÂbrew led the maÂjor leagues with 45 homÂe runs, just beatÂing out NL stars Hank Aaron and Willie McÂCoÂvey, who had 44 aÂpiece. But KillÂeÂbrew did it in only 142 games comÂpared to 161 for Aaron and 152 for McÂCoÂvey.
Bob Allison hit 35 homÂers, Jimmie Hall 33 and Earl BatÂtey 26 for the 1963 Twins. They also had Don Mincher with 17 home runs, Rich RolÂlins with 16 and Vic PowÂer and Zoilo Versalles had 10.
While that club had eight hitÂters with at least 10 home runs, the club reÂcord is 11 such hitÂters in 2016. But eight of those playÂers had between 10 and 12 homers.
PowÂer and opÂtions
This year's team should match that record. There reÂalÂly is no comÂparÂiÂson for the kind of powÂer the club is showÂing from all difÂferÂent kinds of playÂers.
The Twins reÂportÂed this week that they beÂcame the first team in MLB hisÂtoÂry to have seven playÂers with 10-plus homÂers in the first 70 games of a seaÂson.
Eddie RoÂsaÂriÂo leads the team with 19 homÂers. Max KepÂler has 16, C.J. Cron 15, Nelson Cruz and JonÂaÂthan Schoop 12 and Jorge PoÂlanÂco and Mitch GarvÂer 10.
And with Byron BuxÂton with nine homÂers, JaÂson Castro and Marwin GonÂzaÂlez with eight and Miguel Sano with six, it's only a matÂter of time beÂfore the team has 11 playÂers with at least 10 home runs to match that 2016 record.
Baldelli said that early in the seaÂson, one of the bigÂgest beneÂfits for the Twins is how many difÂferÂent lineÂups they can play and still have powÂer threats all over the place.
"We have a lot of difÂferÂent guys that can do a lot of difÂferÂent things, and there's a lot to facÂtor in when we make our lineÂups. But I think we have an enÂtire rosÂter of guys that can proÂduce for us and play well and come toÂgether and get the job done," he said. "I have nevÂer been a fan of playÂing a cerÂtain numÂber of guys and then havÂing the rest of the guys you know sit most days. I enÂjoy getÂting guys in there, and I think the playÂers reÂspond and they acÂtuÂalÂly perÂform betÂter when that hapÂpens."
And it's worth notÂing that the Twins have only played Sano for 19 games, and he is alÂreadÂy provÂing to be a big threat in the lineÂup.
AfÂter strugÂgling last seaÂson and hitÂting .199 with 13 homÂers in 71 games, this year he is hitÂting .247 with six home runs in only 73 at-bats, which is the seÂcond-most home runs per at-bat on the team, trailÂing only GarvÂer, who has homered 10 times in 106 at-bats.
And while Baldelli said he wasn't surÂprised at how quickÂly Sano has gotten up to speed afÂter his inÂjuÂry, he has been imÂpressed.
"We knew when he was going to be back, he was going to be ready. I think facing maÂjor league pitchÂing is someÂtimes difÂfiÂcult when you have been off for so long. So the qualÂiÂty of the at-bats, some of the pitchÂes he has been takÂing and some of the swings he has had, they have been very, very imÂpresÂsive, from my perÂspecÂtive."
The Twins and MariÂners have been in a back-and-forth race for the MLB team home run lead, but SeÂatÂtle has played five more games than the Twins.
When it comes to the numÂber of at-bats per home run, the Twins are clearÂly the best in baseÂball. They hit one out of the park every 17.6 at-bats, comÂpared to Seattle's mark of 19.3 and Milwaukee's 19.6.
The Twins lead the AL CenÂtral by 11 games with a huge weekÂend of sold out games comÂing up against KanÂsas City as the team preÂpares to reÂtire Joe MauÂer's numÂber.
This is the most exÂciteÂment around the Twins since their openÂing seaÂson at Target Field nine years ago.
JotÂtings
• It's amazÂing to think that the Vikings' Kirk Cousins will rank only fifth in the league with $28 milÂlion in salÂaÂry for 2019, trailÂing fellow quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger of PittsÂburgh ($45 milÂlion), Matt Ryan of AtlanÂta ($44.75 milÂlion), RusÂsell WilÂson of SeÂatÂtle ($35 milÂlion) and Nick Foles of JackÂsonÂville ($30.75 milÂlion).
• The ChiÂcaÂgo Bears have signed RoseÂville High School product JesÂper Horsted afÂter his standÂout caÂreer at PrinceÂton. He set school reÂcords with 196 catchÂes for 2,703 yards and 28 touchÂdowns. An all-state reÂceivÂer in high school, he played baseÂball and footÂball in college. The Bears will conÂvert the 6-4, 225-poundÂer to tight end.
• With the ToÂronÂto RapÂtors' push to the NBA Finals, one of their top execÂutives has local ties. TeÂreÂsa Resch, the RapÂtors vice presÂiÂdent of basketÂball opÂerÂations and playÂer deÂvelÂopÂment, is a Lakefield, Minn., naÂtive who went to JackÂson County CenÂtral High School who got her undergraduate degree at Augustana in South Dakota and her master's degree at St. Thomas.
• Twins pitchÂer Ryan Eades, who was called up from RochÂesÂter and relieved in two games before getting sent back down Thursday for Fernando Romero, beÂcame the first playÂer in MLB hisÂtoÂry to wear No. 80. The only unused numbers now are 86, 89 and 92.
Sid HartÂman can be heard on WCCO AM-830 at 8:40 a.m. MonÂday and FriÂday, 2 p.m. FriÂday and 10:30 a.m. SunÂday. • shartman@startribune.com