Twins Top Hitters of the Month: June 2022

The Twins won 13 of 28 games, barely under .500. The team maintained first place, even with some ugly losses at the end of June to the Guardians in a five-game series. The bullpen consistently imploded late in games where the offense has controlled most of the game. Even with all the injuries, roster moves, and roster changes, the Twins lineups have 134 runs, and 40 home runs. 

If it were not for quantifiable numbers and context, Hitter of the Month would not have been easy. While there are three front runners, the rest of the club contributed to the wins and offensive exhibition. Every game felt like a party. The hitters kept the games alive even if it ended in a loss. 

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order)
Nick Gordon - 20 G, .268/.339/.448 (.785), 7 R, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 2 SB
Alex Kirilloff - 12 G, .296/.313/.477 (.790), 5 R, 12 RBI, 5 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 0 SB
Jose Miranda - 23 G, .306/.342/.514 (.856), 6 R, 13 RBI, 6 2B, 3 HR, 4 BB, 0 SB
Jorge Polanco - 13 G, .306/.393/.531 (9.24), 8 R, 10 RBI, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 BB, 0 SB
Gio Urshela - 27 G, .247/.284/.423 (.707), 10 R, 12 RBI, 9 2B, 2 HR, 5 BB, 0 SB

Hitter of the Month Number 3: Luis Arraez  
26 G, .347/.407/.505 (.912), 18 R, 15 RBI, 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 BB, 0 SB

It was hard to place Luis Arraez at third, but it truly feels like three first-place hitters this past month. Arraez, however, has been the talk of not only the town but also has been finding national attention. In June, around Twitter, people started likening him to Rod Carew and ‘prime’ Ichiro Suzuki. Arraez is one of the most consistent hitters not only for the Twins but also in the league. By June’s end, he was number one in the league for batting average and carried an above .800 OPS all of June. 

The numbers speak for themselves, but more than the numbers is how Arraez continues to find himself getting on base. He says that it's hard work and that he works hard with his hitting coach and gives his all to his team. 

Even on his worst day, Arraez still left the game with the highest batting average on the team. On June 29 against the Cleveland Guardians, Arraez went 0-for-5 dropping his batting average .07 points and still carried a .337 batting average. Had it not been for that game, Arraez could have held the number one spot in June. Arraez found himself not only edging out teammates but other All-Stars as well. 

Even other players who are legends, like Rod Carew and Ichiro Suzuki, love Luis Arraez and are in Arraez’s “fan club,” and according to Dick Bremer, Ichiro is the president. 

All-Star voting started on June 8 and concluded on June 30. All-Star voting is a chance for fans to vote for their favorite baseball players for the All-Star game in July during the break. Arraez fell in voting for Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero, Jr and Seattle’s Ty France. Frustrating considering his capability and batting average.

Even if he isn’t going to be on the All-Star team - he should - he is having an All-Star season and hopefully will get some awards at the end of the season. 

Hitter of the Month Number 2: Carlos Correa 
21 G, .345/.405/.608 (1.012) 17 R, 12 RBI,3 2B, 6 HR, 9 BB, 0 SB

Defensively, he is one the best shortstops in the American League and manufactures extraordinary plays to save games. It was almost enough to make up for his staggering low numbers In April and May. 

Correa started out the month of May with an injury from being hit-by-pitch during a game against the Orioles on May 5th. Fans and the front office were fearing a broken finger but found that the bone was bruised. Correa appeared ready to come back to the team, but the team held off and kept him out for two weeks. 

Due to all of his time out in May, Correa’s batting average was .229 and wasn't anything to get excited about.  Correa is a champion, he knows how to win games, and he knows how to be productive, so to see him have a slow month was frustrating. Just as he started to get back into a rhythm from his injury, he ended up on the COVID- IL at the end of May. 

Correa was reinstated from the COVID-IL on June 8.

Correa has never tried to be in the spotlight with this team. He has remained a team player, a hype man and in June he became the All-Star the Twins knew he was. Correa played 21 games in June and got a hit in every game except three. With six home runs and 12 RBI his bat contributed to some of the biggest Twins wins in the month of June. He has more than shown his worth and even with the rumors swirling of him leaving, he continues to show why he is dedicated to his craft and this team. 

His offense is now matching his defense, and they are creating a powerhouse. Correa's bat has been a large contributor to the Twins offensive success in June. Correa is a triple threat: at the plate, in the field, and the dugout.

Hitter of the Month Number 1: Byron Buxton  
23 G, .275/.356/.715 (1.068), 18 R, 15 RBI,4 2B, 9 HR, 8 BB, 0 SB

Byron Buxton is the definition of “Won’t quit.” This season has not been easy for the centerfielder, from knee soreness to hip pain, but he persevered. April and May might not have been the best months of Buxton’s career, but by the end of June, he left with 52 home runs in his past 162 games. 

Buxton was hurt earlier in the season, almost immediately with a knee injury that sent him down on the IL and later a hip pain. Buxton played minimal games in April, and when he returned, he was restricted to DH on some games and days off for others. Rocco and the front office came under a lot of scrutiny. 

From May 18 - May 25, Buxton had a .000 batting average, four walks, one sac-fly, and no hits. The slump was noticeable. The frustration for the centerfielder and fans alike was palpable. May ended on a sour note, with a .169 batting average, and his contribution to wins was -0.016 WPA.

The plan of the front office and Rocco paid off. Buxton came back ready to work and ready to win, a chip on his shoulder and his bat on fire. 

On June 17, against Madison Bumgarner, Buxton hit the third-longest home run of his season (446 feet) and had his highest exit velocity (113mph). As the month closed out, on June 29 against the Cleveland Guardians, he hit his career-high 20th home run as a solo hit in the ninth inning. The hit was part of a 6-0 victory over the Guardians. 

Almost an entire month after one of his own worst records in his career, Buxton was smashing balls and records, including a stand-up triple on June 26, showing off his speed, agility, and competitive nature. The ball didn’t even reach the wall. He never ceases to amaze. 

If the Twins bats stay hot after the All-Star break and the front office makes bold moves for bullpen pitching, this team is playoff-bound, no question. 

What do you think of the top three hitters? Would you have traded any of them out for the honorable mentions? What stats do you look for when looking at hitters?