But I'm betting someone offers a small deal with incentives to play 1B and DH. I could see him going overseas on a deal, though who knows how that works out. But his natural power is so significant that I've always felt if he just "held back" his stroke for better contact, ALL of his "good" numbers would have risen while still hitting a ton of HR, just more 400' shots and fewer 430' plus bombs. I never expected him to completely re-invent himself. But beyond that, I just feel he was never willing to "mentally" develop his approach. Despite various reports over the years he was working hard to get in to great shape, I don't feel he's ever really invested himself in doing so. He's a big human being and will remain one. And he's enjoyed some success, earned an award or two, been on playoff teams, and earned millions of dollars for himself and his family. But I can't say he's a failure as he's enjoyed ML success where so few ever do. His 1,042 strikeouts are second in team history, behind only Harmon Killebrew, who played in over 1,600 more games.Īs I stated in the other "goodbye Sano" article, his career is a disappointment due to potential, hype, and hope. Sano’s 162 career homers rank 12th all-time for Minnesota, one behind Tom Brunansky. Sano has generated 8.4 fWAR for Minnesota during his time, and despite losing on his contract extension, the organization has received a financial surplus thanks to his earlier years. At 29 years old, it would be shocking if this was the end of his career, but there’s no denying the two sides would be best to part ways. There’s zero chance the Twins are picking up a $14 million club option this offseason, so the $2.75 million buyout will be his last paycheck from the organization. Paul this season, but there was never a point in which that translated to Major League success. ![]() He looked most competent during a stretch at Triple-A St. 96% worse than the league average, Sano going out with a whimper couldn’t be more true. Playing just above league-average the past two seasons, the 20-game sample in 2022 was the sad trombone to this whole story. Three years at $30 million was never going to break the bank, and if there was any upside to be had at all, he should blitz by the terms of the deal. ![]() 923 OPS, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine decided to opt for an extension rather than the annual arbitration process. He did play 53 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but his 90 strikeouts led the league.Īfter his 2019 bounce-back, which included a. Sano was available for just 71 games in 2018 and only 105 a year later. The truth probably never lied solely on any of those terms, but there was something to be said for their application. In the years that followed, it became an annual tradition to suggest Sano was fat, lazy, or unathletic. He was somewhat of a polarizing figure for Twins fans and deciding whether the juice was worth the squeeze had begun. By this point, he had ballooned as a player and a personality. Sano did become a first-time All-Star in 2017 and competed in the Home Run Derby. That went as expected and was somewhere between comical and disastrous. It was in this season that a poorly-constructed Twins club also put their hulking slugger in right field. Walking 53 times his rookie season and striking out just 119 times, Sano added just a single additional walk despite the massive boost in whiffs. While still above league average with a 108 OPS+, his 25 home runs came alongside the caveat of a gaudy 178 strikeouts. The first of Sano’s rolling regressions then took place in 2016. The offensive production was good enough for a 149 OPS+ that season. 916 OPS, Sano wound up finishing third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, trailing only (now teammate) Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. Sano made his debut for Minnesota on July 2, 2015, going 1-for-4 against the Kansas City Royals. He wound up representing Minnesota in the 2013 Futures Game. His status and hype only rose from there, and he ultimately topped out as the 4th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. ![]() Prior to playing a single professional game, Sano was ranked as the 94th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America and the 35th best prospect by Baseball Prospectus. A physical specimen was so hotly contested that bone scans were necessary to determine his actual age prior to Major League Baseball allowing a signed contract. When Miguel Sano was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager, he was so highly desired that a movie was made about the process.
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