13 RBIs in five games will do a lot for a guy. It will boost confidence, create opportunities to make more money, improve skin and last but not least, help a guy out of a mid-life baseball crisis.
Justin Morneau has all of that going for him right now. The former Twins first baseman went 3 for 5 with a home run and six RBIs in Colorado’s 10-5 win over the Cardinals last night.
It was his second monster game in less than a week. The 33-year-old drove in five runs in a loss to the Brewers last Friday.
According to the Denver Post, Morneau is the only player in the league with at least three games of five-plus RBIs this season. He’s boosted his average back up to .304, which looks great next to 13 home runs and 57 RBIs, which rank second in the NL, just one behind Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton.
Will the former Twin get a homecoming of sorts by returning to Target Field for the All-Star Game?
“I am aware of where the All-Star game is, and what it would mean to go back there,” Morneau said. “It would be a lot of fun. Obviously if I’m deserving enough to go, I would love to do it. You look around and there are a lot of guys at first base having great years. But one thing we have going for us is that it’s an American League park and we could take some extra hitters.”
Morneau is off to his best start since 2009. Check out this telling stat.
Justin Morneau's 57 RBI are the most he's had before the All-Star break since 2009, when he had 70.
— High Heat Stats (@HighHeatStats) June 25, 2014
Morneau finished the 2009 season with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. He got off to another great start in 2010 before a nasty concussion cut his season short.
“His track record speaks for itself,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “He had a tough couple of years with the concussion thing, and maybe some of his numbers against lefties got skewed over that time. But he’s a great hitter, period.”
He certainly seems to be playing like the Justin Morneau Twins fans adored for 11 years.
