With the first home run the Twins hit last night, they broke the record for most home runs hit before the All-Star break at 162,

They hit three more to move to 165.

It would be impressive if it was actually something impressive. But this is the year of the juiced ball. Home run records are meaningless. Or at least greatly cheapened.

In the history of baseball, only five teams have hit 150 or more home runs before the All-Star break.

Three of those five have occurred this season. The Mariners have 155, and the Brewers have 150.

The record the Twins beat dates all the back to 2018 when the Yankees hit 161 homers before the All-Star break.

The other team in the top five is the 1999 Seattle Mariners, who hit 151. That is a legitimate, uninflated, non-juiced number.

Home runs are cheap. 

But at least this is different than the steroid era. Now, all hitters are on a level playing field. Then, it was just those who chose to cheat.

Christian Yelich and Cody Belinger are already at 30 home runs. They have a legitimate shot at a legitimate sixty. 

And that will still be worth celebrating. 

But last year, for the first time ever, one hundred major leaguers hit twenty or more home runs. This year, that will surely be obliterated. Thirty-one players already have twenty home runs. Seventy-five already have fifteen. One-hundred fifty-six already have ten. 

Home runs are cheap. 

*****

TODAY’S GAME:

Jesse Chavez (3-3, 2.97) vs. Michael Pineda (5-4, 4.78)

Game time: 1:10