One of the more frequent questions I get pertains to switch-hitters that played for the Minnesota Twins so I thought I would put together the entire list of Twins players both position players and pitchers that swung from both sides of the plate. In this case I ranked then in order of home runs hit. The list includes Twins pitchers as well as position players.
Rk | Player | HR | From | To | G | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | RBI | Pos | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Roy Smalley | 110 | 1976 | 1987 | 1148 | 4676 | 3997 | 1046 | 184 | 21 | 485 | .262 | .750 | *6DH/53 |
2 | Chili Davis | 41 | 1991 | 1992 | 291 | 1163 | 978 | 276 | 61 | 3 | 159 | .282 | .862 | *D/H793 |
3 | Cristian Guzman | 39 | 1999 | 2004 | 841 | 3538 | 3277 | 871 | 142 | 61 | 289 | .266 | .685 | *6/HD |
4 | Butch Wynegar | 37 | 1976 | 1982 | 794 | 3188 | 2746 | 697 | 112 | 9 | 325 | .254 | .682 | *2/HD5 |
5 | Gene Larkin | 32 | 1987 | 1993 | 758 | 2670 | 2321 | 618 | 131 | 12 | 266 | .266 | .723 | 3D9H/754 |
6 | Ryan Doumit | 32 | 2012 | 2013 | 269 | 1066 | 969 | 253 | 62 | 2 | 130 | .261 | .745 | 2/D9H73 |
7 | Denny Hocking | 25 | 1993 | 2003 | 876 | 2455 | 2204 | 556 | 109 | 17 | 215 | .252 | .661 | 64H5/9738D |
8 | Bobby Kielty | 23 | 2001 | 2003 | 224 | 750 | 631 | 170 | 35 | 3 | 92 | .269 | .818 | 9/8HD73 |
9 | Eduardo Escobar | 21 | 2012 | 2015 | 340 | 1139 | 1051 | 275 | 71 | 8 | 111 | .262 | .710 | *6/574HD98 |
10 | Aaron Hicks | 20 | 2013 | 2015 | 247 | 928 | 819 | 184 | 30 | 6 | 78 | .225 | .655 | *8/97HD |
11 | Kennys Vargas | 14 | 2014 | 2015 | 111 | 418 | 390 | 101 | 14 | 1 | 55 | .259 | .707 | /*D3H |
12 | Dave Hollins | 13 | 1996 | 1996 | 121 | 503 | 422 | 102 | 26 | 0 | 53 | .242 | .760 | *5/HD6 |
13 | Nick Punto | 12 | 2004 | 2010 | 747 | 2707 | 2365 | 587 | 102 | 21 | 194 | .248 | .648 | 564/HD879 |
14 | Alexi Casilla | 11 | 2006 | 2012 | 515 | 1764 | 1580 | 395 | 72 | 14 | 147 | .250 | .639 | *4/6HD58 |
15 | Pedro Florimon | 10 | 2012 | 2014 | 210 | 682 | 616 | 126 | 23 | 3 | 55 | .205 | .567 | *6/HD |
16 | Matt Walbeck | 8 | 1994 | 1996 | 275 | 1008 | 946 | 218 | 40 | 1 | 103 | .230 | .571 | *2/HD |
17 | Javier Valentin | 8 | 1997 | 2002 | 141 | 435 | 391 | 90 | 19 | 2 | 46 | .230 | .638 | *2/HD |
18 | Danny Santana | 7 | 2014 | 2015 | 192 | 707 | 666 | 185 | 37 | 12 | 61 | .278 | .710 | *6/8HD9 |
19 | Brent Gates | 6 | 1998 | 1999 | 217 | 723 | 639 | 161 | 28 | 2 | 80 | .252 | .656 | *5/4H3D6 |
20 | Luis Rodriguez | 6 | 2005 | 2007 | 206 | 508 | 445 | 108 | 19 | 3 | 38 | .243 | .651 | /54H6D3 |
21 | Orlando Hudson | 6 | 2010 | 2010 | 126 | 559 | 497 | 133 | 24 | 5 | 37 | .268 | .710 | *4/D |
22 | Jim Perry | 5 | 1963 | 1972 | 380 | 681 | 613 | 117 | 17 | 2 | 46 | .191 | .478 | *1/H7 |
23 | Terry Tiffee | 5 | 2004 | 2006 | 91 | 256 | 239 | 54 | 13 | 1 | 29 | .226 | .625 | /5H3D |
24 | Orlando Merced | 5 | 1998 | 1998 | 63 | 223 | 204 | 59 | 12 | 0 | 33 | .289 | .767 | /*39DH |
25 | John Moses | 4 | 1988 | 1990 | 349 | 687 | 620 | 171 | 25 | 7 | 57 | .276 | .693 | 9H/78D31 |
26 | Matt Tolbert | 3 | 2008 | 2011 | 247 | 680 | 605 | 139 | 27 | 9 | 54 | .230 | .607 | 4/5H6D39 |
27 | Luis Castillo | 3 | 2006 | 2007 | 227 | 1036 | 933 | 279 | 33 | 9 | 67 | .299 | .720 | *4 |
28 | Pedro Ramos | 3 | 1961 | 1961 | 53 | 100 | 93 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 11 | .172 | .484 | /*1H |
29 | Marcus Jensen | 3 | 2000 | 2000 | 52 | 164 | 139 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 14 | .209 | .663 | /*2HD |
30 | Dave McKay | 2 | 1975 | 1976 | 78 | 290 | 263 | 60 | 6 | 1 | 24 | .228 | .562 | /*5H6D |
31 | Jose Offerman | 2 | 2004 | 2004 | 77 | 202 | 172 | 44 | 14 | 2 | 22 | .256 | .759 | /*DH34 |
32 | Augie Ojeda | 2 | 2004 | 2004 | 30 | 72 | 59 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 7 | .339 | .886 | /*46H5 |
33 | Darrell Brown | 1 | 1983 | 1984 | 186 | 602 | 569 | 155 | 15 | 5 | 41 | .272 | .624 | *8/H7D |
34 | Otis Nixon | 1 | 1998 | 1998 | 110 | 500 | 448 | 133 | 6 | 6 | 20 | .297 | .705 | *8/H |
35 | Wally Backman | 1 | 1989 | 1989 | 87 | 337 | 299 | 69 | 9 | 2 | 26 | .231 | .591 | /*4HD |
36 | Tom Herr | 1 | 1988 | 1988 | 86 | 345 | 304 | 80 | 16 | 0 | 21 | .263 | .674 | /*4HD6 |
37 | Chris Latham | 1 | 1997 | 1999 | 63 | 154 | 138 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 9 | .152 | .411 | /8H79 |
38 | Kendrys Morales | 1 | 2014 | 2014 | 39 | 162 | 154 | 36 | 11 | 0 | 18 | .234 | .584 | /*D3H |
39 | Rob Bowen | 1 | 2003 | 2004 | 24 | 43 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .108 | .380 | /*2HD |
40 | Al Newman | 0 | 1987 | 1991 | 618 | 1876 | 1647 | 380 | 59 | 7 | 135 | .231 | .581 | 465H/D738 |
41 | J.C. Romero | 0 | 1999 | 2005 | 327 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 | 1.000 | *1 |
42 | Joe Mays | 0 | 1999 | 2005 | 193 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .267 | .722 | *1 |
43 | Pat Neshek | 0 | 2006 | 2010 | 132 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | *1 | ||
44 | Pete Filson | 0 | 1982 | 1986 | 130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | *1 | ||
45 | Darrell Jackson | 0 | 1978 | 1982 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | *1/HD | ||
46 | Jose Morales | 0 | 2007 | 2010 | 74 | 181 | 158 | 47 | 9 | 0 | 14 | .297 | .725 | /*2HD3 |
47 | Tsuyoshi Nishioka | 0 | 2011 | 2012 | 71 | 254 | 233 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 20 | .215 | .503 | /*64HD |
48 | Doug Baker | 0 | 1988 | 1990 | 57 | 100 | 86 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 9 | .267 | .696 | /*46HD5 |
49 | Sergio Ferrer | 0 | 1974 | 1975 | 56 | 157 | 138 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 2 | .261 | .648 | /*6H4D |
50 | Nelson Liriano | 0 | 1990 | 1990 | 53 | 211 | 185 | 47 | 5 | 7 | 13 | .254 | .688 | /*4HD6 |
51 | Marty Martinez | 0 | 1962 | 1962 | 37 | 24 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .167 | .563 | /*H65 |
52 | Dan Serafini | 0 | 1996 | 1998 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | /*1 |
53 | Larry Milbourne | 0 | 1982 | 1982 | 29 | 106 | 98 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .235 | .548 | /*4H |
54 | Donnie Hill | 0 | 1992 | 1992 | 25 | 59 | 51 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .294 | .721 | /6H459 |
55 | Chris Pittaro | 0 | 1986 | 1987 | 25 | 34 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .182 | .388 | /*4H6D |
56 | Quinton McCracken | 0 | 2001 | 2001 | 24 | 70 | 64 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 3 | .219 | .588 | /DH798 |
57 | Jason Ryan | 0 | 1999 | 2000 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | ||
58 | Tom Lundstedt | 0 | 1975 | 1975 | 18 | 32 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .107 | .326 | /*2HD |
59 | Ruben Sierra | 0 | 2006 | 2006 | 14 | 33 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .179 | .487 | /*H*D |
60 | Glenn Williams | 0 | 2005 | 2005 | 13 | 43 | 40 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .425 | .902 | /*5H |
61 | Stan Perzanowski | 0 | 1978 | 1978 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | ||
62 | Cleatus Davidson | 0 | 1999 | 1999 | 12 | 24 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .136 | .273 | /*46HD |
63 | Jorge Polanco | 0 | 2014 | 2015 | 9 | 20 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | .313 | .950 | /*6H |
64 | David Lamb | 0 | 2002 | 2002 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .100 | .200 | /*6H45 |
65 | Mark Brown | 0 | 1985 | 1985 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | ||
66 | Luis Quinones | 0 | 1992 | 1992 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .367 | /*H6D5 |
67 | Eric Hacker | 0 | 2011 | 2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 |
You can make a strong case that Mickey Mantle was the best switch-hitter in the AL as he hit .300 (with 500 or more PA’s) or more nine time and Victor Martinez who remains active today has hit. 300 eight times as has Bernie Williams. Roberto Alomar did it seven times.
The Twins have not had as much luck with their switch-hitters, the only Twin to hit .300 (.302) or better with at least 500 plate appearances was Cristian Guzman in 2001. It kind of makes you wonder if switch hitting is worth the effort. From 1901 to 1960 the Washington Senators never had a switch-hitter that hit .300 or better with at least 500 PA’s.