1978 Minnesota Twins season


The 1978 Minnesota Twins finished 73–89, fourth in the American League West.

Offseason

On May 7, shortstop Roy Smalley set a Twins record by drawing five walks in a 15-9 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Smalley went 1 for 1 and scored three times.
Third baseman Mike Cubbage, on July 27, became the fifth Twin to hit for the cycle. Cubby went double, homer, single, triple off Toronto Blue Jays' pitching. In subsequent years, five others will match the feat: Gary Ward, 1980; Kirby Puckett, 1986; Carlos Gómez, 2008; Jason Kubel, 2009; and Michael Cuddyer, 2009.
787,878 fans attended Twins games, the second lowest total in the American League. Only one Twins player made the All-Star Game: first baseman Rod Carew. In that game at San Diego Stadium, Carew—in his twelfth consecutive All-Star appearance—performed an All-Star first by hitting two triples in the game.
Carew won his seventh AL batting title with a.333 average, leading the team in hits and runs scored. Shortstop Roy Smalley hit 19 HR and collected 77 RBI. Dan Ford hit 11 HR and collected 82 RBI.
Reliever Mike Marshall was signed in May and replaced Tom Johnson and Bill Campbell as manager Gene Mauch's all-purpose reliever. Marshall went on to rack up 10 relief wins along with 21 saves. Three starters had double digit wins: Dave Goltz, Roger Erickson, Geoff Zahn.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day starters

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
1B152564188.333570
2B11933089.270021
SS158586160.2731977
LF125428109.255846
CF151592162.2741182
DH11631080.258735

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
10125168.271323
10124276.314238
8823555.234325
7719133.173420
4912326.211315
154411.25013

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
37265.214133.96121
35252.114143.03106
29220.115102.49116
1992.1464.4854

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
1356.2275.2431
612027.507
39.2026.524

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
541012212.4556
181435.5121
171103.9417
151103.5712
90107.507

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Visalia, Elizabethton