December 8, 2024

Gallo has struggled lately, going 2-for-22 since August 18th. In his first season with the Twins, he’s hitting .177 with a .301 on-base percentage. Despite the low batting average, Gallo continues to be a good source of power. He’s hit 21 home runs in 111 games this season.

For his career, he’s hit 198 big flies. He’s in his ninth big league season with the Rangers, Yankees, Dodgers and Twins. He’s a two-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove award winner. He hit 40 home runs in back-to-back seasons, clocking 41 in 2017 and 40 in 2018, both with the Rangers.

As for Kirilloff, the Pittsburgh native has put together a nice season. He’s hitting .270 on the year with eight homers and 32 RBI. He’s a good contact guy in a lineup that does strike out a lot.

he Twins beat the New York Mets on Friday night 5-2 to move to 74-67 on the year. They lead the American League Central comfortably and will play the Mets again on Saturday afternoon.

First pitch from Target Field is set for 2:10 p.m. ET as David Peterson (NYM) goes against veteran Kenta Maeda.

Joey Gallo is aware of how he is perceived across the major leagues: light-tower power, massive strikeout totals, willing to take the occasional walk. He has earned that billing over a nine-year career. But as he gets ready for his first season as a Washington National, the slugger is preparing to rewrite his own narrative.

“I want to be more than that,” said Gallo, who will be playing for his fifth team in the past four seasons. “I don’t really like being known as some strikeout-home run hitter guy, obviously. It’s not really my plan when I was growing up to be considered this three-true-outcome guy. … But for me, I want to get back to putting the ball in play more.”

Gallo was signed to a one-year deal to fill two needs in the Nationals’ lineup: a left-handed bat and power. He also provides defensive versatility — Gallo said he will play outfield as well as first base. The power is evident: 198 home runs in 863 career games. But then there are the strikeouts — a staggering 1,190 to go with a .197 career batting average.

The 30-year-old struck out in 42.8 percent of his at-bats in 2023, a number he readily admits was too high. He whiffed on 44.3 percent of the pitches he swung at. Both were the highest percentages of his career since 2017. His contact on balls in the strike zone has gradually decreased since 2020, dropping to 65.5 percent in 2023 — a career low since he broke in as a full-time big leaguer in 2017.

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