Twins outfielder Joey Gallo is one of the most confounding players in baseball, and he made one of the most confounding plays of the season on Sunday.
Gallo is having a very weird season. He has a slash line of .179/.298/.459, with 17 home runs and 105 strikeouts in 255 plate appearances. His strikeout rate of 41.2% is the highest among players with at least 150 plate appearances. But by OPS+ and wRC+, he’s actually an above-average hitter.
What those numbers illustrate is clear: Gallo’s strength is his power. More than half of his hits this season are home runs. If he’s able to make contact, there’s a decent chance the ball is going to fly over the fence. So why, with two outs in 11th inning of Sunday’s game against the White Sox, did Gallo decide to lay down a bunt?
