No. 29: Tom Brunansky (16.0 WAR)
Tom Brunansky provided pop in the Minnesota Twins lineup during the 1980s. He was an All-Star during the 1985 campaign, a year during which he hit .242 with 27 home runs and 90 runs batted in. That year was not even his best.
He hit 32 home runs twice, in 1984 and 1987, which was a career-high. His best year according to his wins above replacement was 1982 when he tallied 5.6. He would record 2.5 or more three other times in his career, including his final year with the Twins in 1987.
His time with the Twins will be remembered for his power and his help in winning a title. He is ninth all-time in home runs in franchise history with 163. Brunansky was also a big part of the Twins’ 1987 World Series run. He killed Detroit Tigers pitchers by batting .412 with two home runs and nine RBIs in five games. They were able to cap off their run by beating the St. Louis Cardinals to take the title.
His best time was with the Twins.
Brunansky would go on to play for three other teams, having successful stops in St. Louis and Boston, but he will be remembered for his years in Minnesota the most. He even came back to the organization years later and has done some coaching in the Twins minor league system.
While Brunansky never made the Hall of Fame and only made one All-Star team, he was an incredibly valuable asset to the Twins organization during the 1980s. He helped win ballgames, put up good numbers at the plate and, most importantly, helped give Minnesota its first World Series title.