Justin Morneau was frustrated during spring training but he’s answered any doubts he or anyone else may have had with an impressive start this season. The Twins first baseman is leading the American League in hitting with a .369 batting average, and ranks in the top five in both home runs and RBI.
Morneau didn’t play after September 12 last season because of a stress fracture in his back. In spring training this year he hit .160 with two home runs and eight RBI in 50 at bats.
But so far Morneau’s bat production has been so good it even invites tepid speculation about a Triple Crown season. No one in the American League has been the leader in batting average, home runs and RBI since Carl Yastrzemski did it playing for Boston in 1967.
That 43 year drought says plenty about the difficulty involved in winning a Triple Crown. Yet Morneau is gifted and last year Twins Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew told Sports Headliners the “sky’s the limit” for the 29-year-old first baseman.
Morneau has been turning heads since 2006 when he won the American league MVP award with career best totals of 34 home runs, 130 RBI and a .321 average. In each of the last three seasons he has driven in 100 or more runs and two of those years had 30 home runs or more.
Morneau, who has been with the Twins since 2003, once struggled in the big leagues until he gained more experience and manager Ron Gardenhire helped him to better production. Killebrew, who hit 573 career home runs, admires Morneau’s power and remarked last year how far Morneau has progressed.
Morneau is sometimes crowded out of the headlines by teammate Joe Mauer, perhaps baseball’s most valuable property. The odds against a Triple Crown are considerable but if Morneau did lead the American League in batting average, home runs and RBI it would certainly make the baseball world appreciate him even more.