Hitting 40 home runs would mean a lot to Blue Jays’ Smoak

MINNEAPOLIS — You better believe Justin Smoak knows how many home runs he’s hit so far this season.
The understated Blue Jays first baseman isn’t about to strut around and broadcast the particulars of his breakthrough season, but he’s well aware of the territory he’s approaching.
With 38 homers prior to Friday’s game against the Twins at Target Field, Smoak is long beyond the career high 20 he eclipsed way back in June, a number that seems almost minuscule now.
Then he went to the all-star game for the first in his career and passed 30 homers, putting him in accomplished slugger territory. But now in the shadow of 40, he’s on the verge of going where only baseball’s big boys go.