Odd home run totals in an MLB league-wide home run boom

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qgDUwSfiu4

Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians

Built as a long, lean ideal shortstop that can range with good ability to use that frame to pound the gaps with good long legs to run on balls to the gap, I don’t know of a single scout who had Lindor as a guy who would have much power as a big leaguer. Even when he hit 15 last season in his first full season, many scouts were surprised. Tuesday night, Lindor connected for his 30th of the season!

Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers

Certainly the “Mighty Mouse” of this group (though that nickname is reserved for Jose Altuve), Andrus had a total of 35 home runs in nearly 5200 plate appearances coming into this year, but the Rangers shortstop has erupted for 20 this season.

Justin Smoak, Toronto Blue Jays

Originally a highly touted prospect in the Texas Rangers system, Smoak reached the majors with the Rangers, only to be traded to the Mariners. A 6’4″ guy with a big frame, he never put up the power that his size would indicate, topping out at 20 home runs in a season in 2013. This season, however, he’s made a drastic shift, and he’s powered out 37 home runs while also maintaining a .280 batting average as well.

Logan Morrison, Tampa Bay Rays

Once nearly as famous for his Twitter account as his baseball skills, LoMo has always had the power projection in his bulky 6’2″ frame, but his previous high was the 23 home runs he hit in his first full season with the Marlins. This year with the Rays, he’s not hitting for a terrific average, but he’s still knocking balls out of the park at a tremendous rate, with a season total of 36 so far.

Yonder Alonso, Oakland Athletics

One of the more impressive college swings you’ll ever see when he was at the University of Miami, Alonso came into professional baseball with the expectation that he would hit for both average and power. While he hit for the average, ht didn’t give enough power to keep on the field, topping out with 9 home runs in 2012. Though he was hurt in the second half, Alonso has his 25 home runs on the season in just 478 plate appearances.

Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians

Ramirez has gone from a utility man to an incredibly vital piece of the 2016 Indians World Series run to a legit 2017 AL MVP candidate, and a big part is the fact that he’s gone from a career high of 11 home runs in 2016 to 26 so far in 2017, along with an isolated power number almost 100 points higher than he’s posted at any level in his career (.257).

Travis Shaw, Milwaukee Brewers

While Shaw has always had power in his lefty swing, he’s never really been able totap into it, with a previous single season high of 16 at any single level over a season and 21 for combined levels in a minor league season. He’s got 29 in his first season with the Brewers this year.

Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals

Heading into free agency after this season and coming off of a major injury in 2016, Moustakas knew he needed to have a big year in 2017. He has already tied the Royals single-season record with 36, but most impressive is that he’s keeping his strikeout rate low as he has now eclipsed his previous career high of 22 HR in 2015.

Tim Beckham, Tampa Bay Rays/Baltimore Orioles

The former #1 overall draft pick was always known for his breadth of athleticism, but he never seemed to be able to put it all together at the plate, but he was finally doing it with the Rays before a mid-season trade to the Orioles, and he’s gone off since the move. Never having more than 9 at any one level in a season, Beckham now has 21 on the 2017 season.

Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers

A quality middle infielder over his career, Taylor simply could do enough to crack a big league starting lineup at any position, peaking in the minor leagues with 7 home runs. This season he has 19 for the Dodgers in a super utility role.

Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals

Merrifield lost out on the opening day second base job, but once Raul Mondesi struggled, he came up, and he’s been arguably the Royals MVP on the season with his performance, including powering out 17 home runs when he’s never topped more than 8 home runs at any level in a single season before this year.

And now to the hitters who have seen their big bats go dry this season: