3. Byung-ho Park – MIN
.232/.299/.551, 9 R, 6 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB, 0.6 WAR
29-years-old might not be the optimal age to qualify for a Rookie of the Year award, but for Byung-ho Park who had never faced lived pitching on American soil until this year’s spring training, the South Korean has handled the learning curve pretty well.
He leads all AL rookies and his club with six home runs on the season. His 23 strikeouts are worrisome, but not nearly as much as last year’s AL ROY contender and teammate Miguel Sano, who already has 36 through just 25 games.
Park could go deep 30-plus times this season. Playing time will play a heavy role in that, as he’s set to share starts at first base with Joe Mauer and platoon with he and Sano at designated hitter as well. So far, he’s been getting the lions share of starts at designated hitter in manager Paul Molitor‘s lineups. In that spot, he’s hitting .244/.319/.537 with three home runs and six RBI, compared to .214/.241/.571 with three home runs and three RBI when he plays at first base.
For a struggling Twins team, it’s nice to have talented youngsters like Sano around to pair with ROY candidates in Park and Berrios.
Next: Number 2