Halfway Home: 9 Crazy On-Pace Numbers

Of course, we must bear in mind that a year ago, Brian Dozier had 13 home runs through 81 games, and finished with 42. Things change, as we all know, and rarely does a player put together two equal halves.

Still, for the sake of fun, and contextualizing what we've seen from Twins players over the first half, here are nine players with numbers worth chewing on as we gear up for the final three months.

1. Ervin Santana is on pace for 20 wins and 6 shutouts

Even if you discount the value of the Almighty W, reaching the 20-win plateau is still a pretty cool achievement – one we haven't seen from a Twin since Johan Santana in 2004. If he can spin three shutouts in the second half, as he did in the first, he'll end up with the highest total for an MLB starter since Cliff Lee notched six back in 2011. No one has tallied more since 1989 (Tim Belcher).

2. Miguel Sano is on pace for 40 home runs, 116 RBI, and 216 strikeouts

The Twins went nearly five decades between seeing players eclipse 40 homers; now, they might see it in two straight seasons.

With 116 RBI, Sano would finish with the highest total since Justin Morneau in 2008 (129), and ninth-most ever for a Minnesota Twin.

Only three hitters in baseball history have struck out more than 216 times in a season: Mark Reynolds in 2009 (223), Adam Dunn in 2012 (222), and Chris Davis in 2016 (219).

3. Robbie Grossman is on pace for 88 walks

Contemporary Twins rosters haven't exactly been known for showing exceptional patience, but Grossman redefines selectiveness at the plate. Since 2000, only three Twins have drawn more than 85 walks: Matt Lawton in 2000 (91), Mauer in 2012 (90), and Dozier in 2014 (89). Grossman, incredibly, is on track to get there it in barely over 500 plate appearances; each of the other three needed at least 640 PA.

Grossman also finishes the first half ranked among MLB's top five in K/BB ratio, with some pretty stellar company: Joey Votto, Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, Anthony Rizzo.

4. Brandon Kintzler is on pace for 42 saves

In my mind, perhaps the unlikeliest success story of this 2017 Twins season. Kintzler has been far more than adequate in the closer role.

Only two Twins have ever notched more than 42 saves in a season: Joe Nathan three times, and Eddie Guardado once. Kintzler's 88 percent conversion rate is on par with the franchise's finest.

5. Taylor Rogers is on pace to make 72 appearances

Two years ago, Rogers was a solid minor-league starter. Now, he is the most frequently deployed weapon in Paul Molitor's bullpen, proving himself as much more than a situational left-hander. Rogers has earned the manager's trust by pounding the strike zone and, surprisingly, shutting down righties: they're hitting .227/.275/.253 against him.

6. Byron Buxton is on pace to steal 28 bases... and get caught twice

He still isn't getting on base nearly as much as we'd like, but when he does, Buxton is doing damage. In the grand scheme, 28 steals isn't an historic number, though it would be the most for a Twin since Ben Revere snagged 40 in 2012.

That 93 percent success rate, however, provides a tantalizing taste of how unstoppable the 23-year-old's speed will be on the base paths once he spends more time there.

7. Matt Belisle is on pace to issue 34 walks

It remains to be seen if he will get enough rope to reach such a number, at least in a Twins uniform, but Belisle's once reputable control has vanished completely. Only once in his career has the veteran surpassed 34 walks – back in 2007, when he issued 43 in 177 innings as a full-time starter for the Reds.

8. Tyler Duffey is on pace for 82 strikeouts in relief

It took the Twins up until the end of spring training to settle on a role for Duffey. It looks like they made the right choice. He's had some hiccups, but Duffey has been the best power arm in the Minnesota bullpen. Whereas the other high-K righties in the relief corps (Ryan Pressly and Michael Tonkin) have imploded, Duffey has translated the stuff into clean outings more often than not. In his first season in the new role, he is on track for the most strikeouts from a Twin pitching exclusively in relief since Joe Nathan's 89 in 2009.

9. Chris Gimenez is on pace to make 228 plate appearances... and 12 pitching appearances

We didn't know what to expect when the Twins signed Gimenez to a minor-league deal in mid-January. His modest track record included a .632 OPS, frequent shuttling between organizations, and zero seasons with more than 155 plate appearances in the majors.

But at 34, Gimenez has been a mainstay for Minnesota. He has reliably spelled Jason Castro behind the plate every third day or so, and his spelling of the pitching staff has been crucial, eating innings when the team badly needs it.

What Gimenez is doing is essentially unprecedented in the modern game; since 1960, no position player has made 12 relief appearances in his career, much less one season.