Joey Gallo’s time with the Minnesota Twins was not without its challenges. He was signed to give outfield depth as well as power in the lineup, which he accomplished at the beginning of the season but was unable to maintain.
It’s unfortunate because Gallo was one of the most pleasant members of the clubhouse last season, but he didn’t stick around long enough to really catch on. The majority of that was due to his offense’s downward spiral following a very promising start to the season.
Gallo smashed three home runs in his first four games and finished April batting.304/.360/.870, with a revenge series against the Yankees marking his pinnacle with the Twins. It was satisfying for both Gallo and the Twins to see him help Minnesota win a season series against New York for the first time since 2001, and that should be the end of his stint with the franchise.
Following the final series against the Yankees, Gallo’s performance deteriorated gradually. He failed to bat above.200 from the beginning of June to the end of the season and was eventually left off the postseason squad.
It was a terrible way to end his brief tenure with the Twins, which is not lost on the guy himself.
Before the Twins and Nationals played on Thursday, Gallo met with the media and was quite candid about how bad things went in Minnesota last season. It’s actually a little painful to hear, especially given what he went through with the Yankees and how it affected him.