Twins Daily Hitter of the Month - July 2023

July was a story of ups and downs for the Twins offensively. Starting the month sluggishly until eventually picking up the pace after the All-Star Game, the Twins hit .256/.335/.454 (.789) with an above-average wRC+ of 118 in 931 total plate appearances in July. 

Despite an overall encouraging month from the offense, the Twins still struggled in critical aspects of the game, most notably possessing a strikeout rate of 27.7%, five percentage points higher than the league average for July. 

Although the Twins had high strikeout rates yet again, they were able to counteract their high strikeout percentage with an Isolated Power (ISO) rate of .198, twenty points higher than the league average, and a BB% of 9.0%, 0.6 points higher than the league average.

The Twins will be a team that attempts to balance their high strikeout rates with high power and walk rates. When it doesn't work, it is miserable to watch. But when it does work, it is quite the sight to see, as shown in the Athletics and Mariners series after the All-Star Break. 

Overall, the Twins had an impressive month of hitting, and here are the players who led the charge.

Honorable Mention: Kyle Farmer - .302/.367/.528 (.895), 60 PA, 16 H, 2 HR, 146 wRC+
We are starting the "Twins Hitter of the Month - July 2023" list with a bang in utility player extraordinaire Kyle Farmer. 

Farmer talked the talk during the players-only meeting in Atlanta, and he was finally able to walk the walk during July. 

Farmer often found himself on the right side of luck, evidenced by generating a BABIP of .378 throughout July. Despite getting lucky outcomes, Farmer was able to slice the ball around the field, taking advantage of ground balls that found their way out of the infield and occasionally hitting doubles hits in the opposite field gap. 

Despite not displaying much power, "Farm Dawg" put the ball in play with solid contact, something this Twins team has needed all season.

Overall, Farmer had a very impressive July, and hopefully, he will be able to provide the same sense of stability and productivity over the final stretch of the regular season.

#4: Alex Kirilloff - .270/.329/.527 (.856), 82 PA, 20 H, 4 HR, 133 wRC+
If you were to ask me who the Twins Hitter of the Month for July would be on July 24, I would have said it's a toss-up between Kirilloff and Julien. Kirilloff and Julien had just come off incredible post-All-Star Game series against the Athletics and Mariners, and Alex Kirilloff had just earned the honor of AL Player of the Week, hitting .345/.394/.793 (1.187) and hitting three home runs, two doubles, one triple, and generating three walks over that week's long stretch. 

Unfortunately, between the week of July 23-July 29, Kirilloff hit only .182/.217/.273 (.490) with four hits, zero home runs, two doubles, and a wRC+ of 32 over 23 plate appearances.

Kirilloff's high level of performance fell off a cliff quickly, and the reason for that was likely due to Kirilloff sustaining a shoulder injury, which eventually placed him on the 10-day IL on July 30.

Overall, Kirilloff had a solid month, and if he hadn't sustained the shoulder injury that likely caused a steep decline in his performance, he would have been higher on this list. 

#3: Max Kepler - .291/.340/.500 (.840), 94 PA, 25 H, 4 HR, 131 wRC+
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, "And those who were seen enjoying Kepler's performance in July were thought to be insane by those who chose to remember April through June."

I think that is how the quote went. It could have had more to do with dancing and music. Who's to say?

Anyways, Max Kepler had an incredible July and, dare I say, looked somewhat like the player we all fell in love with in 2019 for a decent stretch of time.

Consistently good at-bats, clutch hits, and a revived sense of power helped Kepler construct an impressive month of July, which he desperately needed.  

Kepler's highlight of the month was going 11-for-29 (.379 AVG) over seven games against the Seattle Mariners, stretching from July 17-20 and July 24-26.

As we advance through the Twins' last 50 or so games, Kepler will have to confront the expectations of being a key contributor on a division title-seeking team. Will he be able to step up to the occasion finally? We shall see. 

#2: Ryan Jeffers - .368/.455/.526 (.981), 45 PA, 14 H, 2 HR, 180 wRC+
Despite Mitch Garver's breakout 2019 season, the Twins have been in flux at catcher since Joe Mauer converted to first base full-time in 2014. It has been a rocky road, but it feels like the Twins have finally found a trustworthy catching duo of Christian Vázquez and Jeffers, with Jeffers being the standout. 

Jeffers continued his incredible 2023 campaign with a great month of July.

Having a 50/50 split with Vázquez, Ryan Jeffers could not put together a large sample size like other hitters on this list, but he performed incredibly well with the opportunities he was given.

Mixing timely hitting with the ability to hit the ball all over the field with power, Jeffers looked like a nearly fully actualized version of the player who made his debut for the Twins in 2020. 

In 2023, Jeffers has been a rare commodity: a catcher who can hit well. If he continues to put up numbers relatively close to his performance in July, Jeffers could eventually start getting discussed in the same light as fellow American League catchers Jonah Heim and Adley Rutschman.

Jeffers had an incredible offensive month, leading to him finishing second place in Twins Hitter of the Month for July 2023.

Winner: Edouard Julien - .369/.461/.723 (1.184), 76 PA, 24 H, 6 HR, 225 wRC+
From Corey Koskie to Justin Morneau to now Edouard Julien, the Twins are great at finding left-handed Canadiens who can hit. 

Julien, aka "le beau jumeau," had one of the most remarkable offensive months in Twins rookie history, earning him the honors of "Twins Hitter of the Month."

Congratulations to Julien and his family. The streets of beautiful Quebec City will be overflowed tonight in celebration, and rightfully so. 

In all seriousness, Julien had a remarkable month, highlighted by his remarkably absurd post-All-Star Game stretch where he hit .632/.682/1.000 (1.682) while generating a wRC+ of 366 over 22 plate appearances against the Athletics and Mariners. 

Julien's performance understandably quieted down after the Mariners series, but he was still an above-average hitter over the last week and a half of July. 

Julien's performance in July deservedly earned him a seemingly permanent spot on the roster. Going forward, Julien will have to continue to hit at a high rate if he wants to remain a fixture in the Twins lineup, as his defense at second base is below replacement level. 

Nonetheless, Edouard Julien had an incredible month in July and rightfully earned the honor Twins Hitter of the Month title.

Do you agree with our choice for Twins Hitter of the Month list for July 2023? Did I leave any Twins hitters out? Comment below.