With his Twins in the midst of a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, Brian Dozier offered up a prognosis for Minnesota's recent struggles at the plate.
The Twins, in Dozier's estimation, just need to chill out a bit.
"I always use the terminology 'hitting a three-run homer with nobody on base,'" he said. "… we've gotta get back to our basics."
Another potential solution: A few games against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds, now a dismal 5-20 overall and 2-11 on the road, have allowed a whopping 40 home runs this year and hit just 17, both the worst marks in the majors. It's the worst home run differential in the league at minus-23 through 25 games.
Cincinnati isn't striking out at an unusually high rate -- they're 13th in the majors with 217 strikeouts -- but Minnesota's pitching staff could exacerbate their issues.
Once known for their overwhelming tendency towards pitching to contact, the Twins' staff has shown a rare ability to make batters miss so far in 2018. After finishing last in the league in whiff percentage -- the overall percentage of swings that miss -- in each of the last seven seasons, the Twins are fourth in that metric through 20 games.
| Year | Percentage | Rank |
| 2011 | 17.9 | Lowest in MLB |
| 2012 | 18.8 | Lowest in MLB |
| 2013 | 18.5 | Lowest in MLB |
| 2014 | 19.5 | Lowest in MLB |
| 2015 | 20.0 | Lowest in MLB |
| 2016 | 21.2 | Lowest in MLB |
| 2017 | 21.4 | Lowest in MLB |
| 2018 | 27.9 | 4th-highest in MLB |
Dozier himself is 0-for-12 in his last three games, but remains a force at the plate and on the base paths. He set a Twins record after opening the season with a 17-game hit streak, and has four home runs so far. He's one of just eight players all-time to rack up at least 150 home runs and 90 stolen bases in his first six seasons, joining the likes of greats like Willie Mays and Barry Bonds, as well as contemporaries Mike Trout and Ryan Braun.
| Player | 1st 6 seasons | HR | SB |
| Willie Mays | 1951-57 | 187 | 121 |
| Barry Bonds | 1968-73 | 165 | 222 |
| Darryl Strawberry | 1983-88 | 186 | 165 |
| Jose Canseco | 1985-90 | 165 | 96 |
| Andruw Jones | 1996-2001 | 150 | 106 |
| Ryan Braun | 2007-12 | 202 | 126 |
| Mike Trout | 2011-16 | 168 | 143 |
| Brian Dozier | 2012-17 | 151 | 90 |
Other notes:
-- The Reds and the Twins last squared off in 2015, but this is Cincinnati's first visit to Minnesota since the 2001 season.
-- Phil Hughes takes the mound for the Twins in the series opener. The key for Hughes remains his health. He has spent 558 days on the disabled list during his 12-year career, sixth amongst active players.
-- The Reds have lost their last eight games in interleague play, and have been outscored 48-25 over that span, tied with the Mets for the longest active interleague losing streak.
Statistics courtesy of STATS
