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Let's take a look at the projected starters for each position.
Catcher: Kurt Suzuki - 3 HR in 131 G in 2014
Not really a power threat. In his younger years Suzuki could be counted on for double-digit homer totals, but all signs indicate that those days are long gone. Fortunately, he's playing a position where offensive expectations are low, and he'll likely be splitting time with a guy in Josmil Pinto who offers much more deep ball potential.
First Base: Joe Mauer - 4 HR in 120 G in 2014
He's never been a huge homer threat, but last year was strange even by Mauer's standards. Now that he's been able to go through a normal offseason, I think a healthy Mauer easily flies past his 2014 total, but he has only topped 13 homers once in his career, and last year 10 first basemen surpassed that number in the AL alone. This will pretty clearly be an area of relative weakness, but the rest of the lineup can make up for it.
Second Base: Brian Dozier - 23 HR in 156 G in 2014
Is Dozier the homer-hitting machine that went deep 18 times in the first half, or the guy that hit only five home runs after the break? Probably somewhere in between, although his total of 18 in 2013 backs up the notion that he can be a consistent 20-HR threat. No AL second baseman other than Dozier hit 20 home runs last year.
Third Base: Trevor Plouffe - 14 HR in 136 G in 2014
Plouffe emerged as one of the better young power-hitting infielders in the game in 2012, when he launched 24 balls into the seats in just 119 games, but in two seasons since he has hit only 14 homers apiece. Last year that total came along with 40 doubles, and if a few more of those clear the wall this year, he can rank in the upper echelon at the hot corner.
Shortstop: Danny Santana - 7 HR in 101 G in 2014
His seven homers as a rookie last year came as somewhat of a surprise, considering he'd connected for only 25 in 548 games as a minor-leaguer, but he's always had a good line drive swing and as he matures into his mid-20s he seems to be adding more strength. Seven looks like a good baseline estimate for his first full season, and that'd be just fine; only five AL shortstops had a higher total last year.
Left Field: Oswaldo Arcia - 20 HR in 103 G in 2014
Here's a guy I'm really excited about. Arcia got off to a bit of a slow start last year but was locked in after the All-Star break, cranking 15 homers in 57 games. He's entering his second full season in the majors, and if he can make some advancements with his plate approach while staying healthy, there's no reason he couldn't hit 35 or 40 bombs.
Center Field: Aaron Hicks - 1 HR in 69 G in 2014
This one's tough to call, since we don't really know who's going to be the starter and we certainly don't know what to expect from Hicks if he lands the gig as expected. Hicks went deep only once last year, but hit eight homers in 81 games as a rookie in 2013. He certainly has the ability to reach double-digits but for now expectations are understandably scaled back.
Right Field: Torii Hunter - 17 HR in 142 G in 2014
Hunter has been a model of consistency in numerous facets, and power is one of them. He has hit 14-plus homers every year since 2001, and was still producing plenty of pop last year at age 39, notching 17 dingers to rank fifth among AL right fielders. It would be no shock if he fell short of that total this year considering his age, but I'd expect Hunter to provide average output at worst.
Designated Hitter: Kennys Vargas - 9 HR in 53 G in 2014
Another wild card. In terms of pure power, Vargas has much as anyone in the organization, and he showed it by putting some balls into orbit at Target Field last summer. In the minors, he hit 59 homers in 381 games. If he can make enough contact to stay in the lineup, he seems like a lock to reach at least the mid-teens, with the potential to approach 30.
At a glance, the Twins look like a good bet to have at least average power at most positions, and there are other factors that could push them along even further. Will Pinto become the primary catcher at some point? Will Miguel Sano join the club? Can Hicks get it together and hit 10-plus homers as a regular?
All things considered, I think this looks like a lineup that will place more balls in the seats than any in recent years, so snag those Home Run Porch tickets if you're a collector.
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