New York Yankees tie Minnesota Twins for MLB home run record
On August 31st, the Minnesota Twins broke the 2018 Yankees’ single-season team home run record. However, the Yankees appear poised to take it back.
Even if you have paid little attention to the MLB this season, you know that baseballs have been flying out of the yard at a historic rate. While the race for the individual home run title has gained national attention, the race between the Twins and Yankees might be even more intriguing.
Pete Alonso, Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, and Eugenio Suarez are all battling it out for the MLB home run title down the stretch. However, the team race has just become far more interesting.
On August 31st against the Detroit Tigers, The Minnesota Twins hit their 268th home run to break the MLB single-season team home run record. They broke the Yankees’ record of 267 that was set just last year. Unfortunately for the Twins, the 2019 Yankees are still pretty good at hitting the long ball.
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Since the Twins broke their record, the Yankees have hit 22 home runs over their last 9 games. On Tuesday, the Bronx Bombers hit 6 home runs, also against the Tigers, to move into a tie with the Twins for the all-time record at 276. The two division leaders are poised for an exciting race in preparation for a potential postseason matchup.
So which prolific offense will come out on top? Well, the Yankees are swinging the hotter bats as of late. In their last 7 games, the Twins have only managed to hit 6 home runs, while batting .198. Their 19 runs over that span ranks 24th in the MLB, according to ESPN. The Yankees, on the other hand, have produced 38 runs with a .260 team average. That ranks 5th among MLB teams, according to ESPN.
No matter who wins the race, the results will be historic. The Twins and the Yankees rank 1st and 2nd in runs per game, with 5.83 and 5.77 respectively. They already have two of the best offensive teams of all-time, during a season highlighted by offense. As a league, the MLB is on pace to absolutely shatter the all-time total home run record, which was set in 2017 with 6,105 long balls, according to Baseball Almanac. Prior to today’s action, the season total rested at 6,027 (ESPN). Thus, that record should be broken by the end of the week.
2019 has been the year of the home run. While this fact has been controversial (let’s stay away from that debate for now), there is no doubt it has been historic. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to see two legitimate World Series contenders battle it out for the single-season team home run record in the final three weeks of the regular season?
Probably Justin Verlander.
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But if your name is not Justin Verlander, get ready for an explosive back-and-forth battle between two AL powerhouses that could end up playing each other for the pennant.