Royals’ Mike Moustakas focused on wins, not home run record

At some point in the next few weeks, perhaps even days, Mike Moustakas is going to break the Royals’ single-season record for homers. This is basically certain now.

Barring injury, Moustakas will hit three more homers and surpass Steve Balboni’s record of 36 in one season, set in 1985. But in the moments after clubbing two homers — Nos. 33 and 34 — in a 6-3 loss on Friday night, Moustakas appeared more interested in victories, not records.

“Individual accomplishments don’t really mean anything if you’re not playing good ball,” Moustakas said. “And right now, we need to get back to playing the way we know how to play.”

Moustakas cranked two solo shots on Friday, both off White Sox rookie Reynaldo Lopez. He became the first Royal to hit 34 homers in a season since Dean Palmer in 1998. When he ropes his next blast, he will tie Gary Gaetti for the second most in team history.

Balboni will come after that. And perhaps at some point, Moustakas will reflect on what he has done this season. But right now, Moustakas said, he is not focused on the record.

“Not really,” Moustakas said. “We’re really focused on going out and winning some baseball games right now. We haven’t been playing great baseball. So we need to go out there and focus on winning some ballgames. That’s where, I think, all of our minds are at.”

This story was originally published August 12, 2017 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Royals’ Mike Moustakas focused on wins, not home run record."