Fun facts about players on the 2019 Minnesota Twins

Spring training is underway and shortly the regular season will begin. With that will come the inundation of statistics — batting average, home runs, ERA, etc.

Since you’ll be getting enough baseball stats about the Minnesota Twins to fill any void you might have, we thought we’d take a look at the lighter side of things.

We scoured through the Twins media guide and came up with some different and interesting facts about a number of players (note: we have no repeat facts from last year’s edition of fun facts or even 2017). While your friends are dishing out Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler home run totals from last year, you can enlighten them on which player was in Javier Baez’s wedding party, who was a valedictorian in high school, who saved a Little League World Series championship game and more.

Read on, enjoy and be prepared to dazzle your buddies with your inside knowledge of Twins players.

Willians Astudillo: His .378 batting average after the All-Star break led all major-league rookies.

Jose Berrios: He is the brother-in-law of Cubs infielder Javier Baez; their wives are sisters and Berrios was in Baez’s wedding party this past winter.

Byron Buxton: Enters 2019 with 29 consecutive stolen bases, dating back to May 24, 2017, which is a Twins record for consecutive steals.

Jason Castro: Won the gold medal in the 12 and under Bay Area Regional Swim Competition (breast stroke).

Jake Cave: First major-league hit was a home run (May 19), the 11th Twins player to hit a homer in his first MLB game and first since Eddie Rosario in 2015.

C.J. Cron: His father, Chris, played for the Angels (1991) and White Sox (1992). His brother, Kevin, is a first baseman in the Diamondbacks organization and his cousin is longtime major-league catcher Chad Moeller.

Nelson Cruz: Played basketball for the Dominican Republic junior national team.

Mitch Garver: Entering his third year in the majors he’s wearing his third different number. He came up wearing No. 43, changed to 23 in 2018 and will wear 18 in 2019, giving 23 to Cruz.

Kyle Gibson: Since 2014, has induced 119 ground ball double plays, most in baseball.

Nick Gordon: Produced hip-hop music in spare time, rapping under the alias G-Cinco.

Trevor Hildenberger: A fan of the San Francisco 49ers and San Jose Sharks.

Max Kepler: One of 43 German-born players to appear in a Major League Baseball game.

Trevor May: Was valedictorian of his high school.

Brian Navarreto: Is a freestyle Spanish rapper and records music in his spare time.

Blake Parker: Converted to pitcher in 2007 after starting his career as a position player in Cubs organization, primarily a corner infielder.

Martin Perez: Favorite pitcher growing up was Johan Santana.

Michael Pineda: Owns a farm in his native Dominican Republic, where he raises chickens in addition to growing a number of crops.

Taylor Rogers: Grew up wanting to be a firefighter; he would have been a fifth-generation firefighter.

Eddie Rosario: Only player in Twins history to have two three-homer games.

Jonathan Schoop: Played on the Little League World Series championship team from Willemstad, Curacao in 2004 and recorded the save in the finale against Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Kohl Stewart: Was recruited to both pitch and play quarterback at Texas A&M.