New York Yankees designated hitter Carlos Beltran hit his 367th career home run Thursday night against the Minnesota Twins, breaking a fourth-place tie with Lance Berkman for homers by a switch-hitter, as reported by Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Beltran’s three-run shot off Twins starter and former Yankee Phil Hughes highlighted a four-run fifth inning, propelling the Yankees to an 8-5 victory that broke a season-high five-game losing streak. It was Beltran’s first home run at Target Field, marking the 38th MLB ballpark he’s gone deep in, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Beltran is in his 17th MLB season and first with the Yankees, after spending the 2012 and 2013 campaigns with the St. Louis Cardinals. An eight-time All-Star, Beltran has played for six different teams, notably logging six-plus seasons for both the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets.
As a switch-hitting slugger, Beltran is in very select company, trailing only two Hall of Famers and another soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee. Former Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is third on the list with 468 career homers, while “Steady” Eddie Murray is second with 504. Yankee legend Mickey Mantle, widely considered the best switch-hitter of all time, sits atop the pack at 536 home runs.
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