I looked at the Twins' surge in home runs in recent games.

 

The Twins' lack of homers has started to change. The Twins have hit 15 home runs in their last nine games after hitting just 31 in their first 42 games.

 

Read the rest of it at Yahoo! Sports. What do you think? Is this a trend or just a SSS fluke?

I hope it's a trend for guys like Mauer, Parmalee, and Hicks.... Wish I could add Plouffe and Morneau to this list. For the rest, I'm not as concerned.

If a team doesn't have two or three 30 homer guys, it is nice to have a bit of HR power sprinkled throughout the lineup. Currently, the Twins have had the sprinkling in the middle infield (6 HR), DH (5 HR), C (5 HR), CF (6 HR), RF (5 fr Parm, 4 for Arcia), and third (4 from Plouffe). They have the Hammer with 9 long balls, which would project to 27-28. What's missing? First base, a normal power position, has only two.

Our power is a bit flukey, but we were slumping at the beginning of the season. I expect us to level off in the middle.

To me the real test of home run power is when there are men on base. Not because of some mythic clutch ability, but because pitchers adopt different strategy when the long ball could really hurt them. Solo home runs are fine and all, but they happen because the pitcher was willing to risk it; I think it's a large explanation for what we saw with Plouffe last year when his BA was quite low but he suddenly went beserk with the dingers.

 

For that reason, I'm not overly excited by the current surge. I've got an open mind though.

To me the real test of home run power is when there are men on base. Not because of some mythic clutch ability, but because pitchers adopt different strategy when the long ball could really hurt them.

 

Couldn't it also be the approach by the batters? With a RISP, I would think a batter might be more willing to look to hit up the middle or away. In my gaming experience, when I play one with a choice between a power swing and a normal swing, I choose normal when leading off an inning and with RISP.