Joey Gallo is off to his best start at the plate since his 2019 season with the Rangers.
After signing with the Twins in free agency, the 29-year-old was hoping to prove that he was more than a boom-or-bust bat in the middle of the order.
Gallo blasted his sixth home run of the year on Monday night against the Yankees, who he spent 140 games with between the 2021 and ’22 seasons. He mostly flopped in New York, as he hit just .159 with 25 home runs and 194 strikeouts.
After his home run on Monday night, one Yankees fan in attendance at Target Field wouldn’t let Gallo forget his abysmal time in New York.
“Hey Gallo! Why couldn’t you do that in New York, you bum!”
“HEY GALLO WHY COULDNT YOU DO THAT IN NEW YORK YOU BUM!”
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) April 25, 2023
Yankee Fans showing Joey Gallo some Love!!! pic.twitter.com/OG9uOxHkiL
First of all, that’s classic New York heckling from a visiting fan in Minneapolis. Second, that’s a perfect summation of how most Yankees fans feel about Gallo’s time in New York, which really has mirrored most of his career.
Historically, Gallo has not been able to consistently hit for average. He’s a career .200 hitter who is known for hitting home runs or striking out a ton—really no in-between. This year, however, Gallo is hitting .243 with six home runs and 12 RBIs.
If he finished the year hitting .243, it would be the second-highest average of his career to his .253 mark in 2019. Here’s to hoping Gallo figures things out at the plate and continues playing good baseball for the Twins in ’23.
