Miguel Sano How Soon Is Now?

[jokin]

Jonathan Mayo weighs in this morning on where Sano rates compared to the rest of MLB's top prospects in the year of "Promoto-Palooza" and what this move means for the Twins chances.  Good point on his steadily improving plate discipline, this year, he actually has his lowest K% since Rookie ball:

 

 

 

 

The fact that Sano is already on the Twins' 40-man roster made this an even easier decision to make and his skill set is exactly what the Twins could use right now. While Minnesota stands in second place in the AL Central, it's done it without a ton of thump in its lineup. The Twins are 11th in the American League in SLG and OPS, something Sano should be able to help with upon his arrival.
While there is some swing-and-miss to his game -- expecting a good amount of strikeouts especially at the outset is fair -- he's a better overall hitter than perhaps people thought he'd be or give him credit for. He draws more than his fair share of walks (80 in 2012, 65 in 2013). But the Twins are really banking on his 80 raw power on the 20-80 scouting scale. Sano has as much raw pop as anyone in the Minor Leagues, including Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo. His above-average hitting ability allows him to tap into that power effectively.
 He does have a very strong arm, but his defensive tools are almost beside the point, at least for now. Sano is largely going to DH, something he has not done much of in his Minor League career. How he adjusts to hitting only could be a big key to how successful he'll be at the highest level, but look for him to make some adjustments and make an impact with the bat quickly.

 

 

http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2015/07/02/images/mlbf_217580283_th_45.jpg

[drjim]

 

The Twins bear practically no responsibility in this debacle?   Beg to differ. They've been working with him for 2.5+ years now.   No one doubts he has elite-level stuff.       Mechanics has always been the big issue, the Twins went all-in with eyes wide open regarding his 6'9" frame,   he's clearly gone backwards in that regard under the Twins tutelage.   And now they're throwing out the "lack of self-confidence and killer instinct" thing, suspicious.   Clearly something else that should have been detected, and then addressed, by a sports psychologist's work-up when they first traded for him.

 

Good thing the Twins won't have many of those self-confidence or lacks the killer instinct issues with Miguel Sano. 

 

I think the Twins might be on to something with Meyer, unfortunately.

 

They gave him the ball every fifth day in the minors and he didn't produce.

[jokin]

 

I think the Twins might be on to something with Meyer, unfortunately.

 

They gave him the ball every fifth day in the minors and he didn't produce.

 

 

And actually Gardy, and some of us in the peanut gallery, were on to this  1.333 years ago.

 

 But up until this year, they did give him the ball every 5th day, and he produced at a league-dominant level, including at the highest minor league level, they have shown both they and Meyer himself, were unable to fix the irregularity of his mechanics, or deal with his psychological blocks.

 

Miguel Sano, on the other hand, appears to have made the requisite adjustments and acquired better habits and techniques to combat AA pitching the second time around.  This will be well worth watching at the major league level for both Sano and Meyer.  Of the two, Meyer for sure will be gone by the ASG if he doesn't show some developing MLB aptitude.

[jokin]

Sano... soon is now.  Now up to the clean-up spot for Molitor, hitting for power and average, plus plate discipline.  

 

Anyone still opting for calling him up in September, instead?  

 

It sure looks like he's up to stay.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I'd say it's looking like Plouffe is traded this offseason. SSS for sure, but promising. 

[tobi0040]

 

I'd say it's looking like Plouffe is traded this offseason. SSS for sure, but promising. 

 

Totally dependent on our view of Sano's defense at 3B. Personally my gut says here is how it plays out:

 

3B - Plouffe - extended this off-season

 

LF - Sano

 

CF - Buxton

RF - Rosario

 

4th OF  Hicks

 

DH - Arcia or Vargas (likely Arcia)

 

I would also put money on Sano getting an extension within the next 12 months and it would be smart

[tobi0040]

The early stat line for Sano:

 

.450 average, .542 OBP, .700 slugging, 1.242 OPS.  2 2B, HR, 4 BB, 6 K.

 

What stands out to me is the 25% K rate.  He just isn't going to make it with that rate.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

What stands out to me is the 25% K rate.  He just isn't going to make it with that rate.

I assume your post is missing the smiley face?  

[tobi0040]

 

I assume your post is missing the smiley face?  

 

Absolutely.

[jokin]

 

Totally dependent on our view of Sano's defense at 3B. Personally my gut says here is how it plays out:

 

3B - Plouffe - extended this off-season

 

LF - Sano

 

CF - Buxton

RF - Rosario

 

4th OF  Hicks

 

DH - Arcia or Vargas (likely Arcia)

 

I would also put money on Sano getting an extension within the next 12 months and it would be smart

 

The early stat line for Sano:

 

.450 average, .542 OBP, .700 slugging, 1.242 OPS.  2 2B, HR, 4 BB, 6 K.

 

What stands out to me is the 25% K rate.  He just isn't going to make it with that rate.

 

Another great day,, today.  It looks like he's taking as many or more professional ABs than anyone else on the team.  And he passed his first test at 3B with flying colors.

 

(He now has equal 21.4% BB and K rates.  Pretty amazing start for a power hitting rookie in those two departments.)

[Dman]

I am stunned by how good his at bats have been. I think the last time I saw someone come up looking this good was Mauer.  I hope he keeps this up.

 

 I agree that his at bats look better than anyone else right now.  He doesn't seem to chase and he is getting good contact.  I don't understand how he is confident enough to take walks in tough situations and not chase.  He doesn't look like a rookie to me right now.

[jokin]

How well is Miguel Sano adjusting to major league pitching?

 

Over his first week, Sano's tied for 2nd in hard-hit-balls percentage, with Mike Trout @ 64.3%, and behind only JD Martinez.  Not bad company, Kid.

 

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=2&season=2015&month=7&season1=2015&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=19,d

[jokin]

 

And now even management is getting giddy, over his defense.  For the present, Paul Molitor says he has passed his first test at 3rd,  but work continues behind the scenes to gradually expand his defensive playing options  :

 

 

Praise for Sano keeps coming, this time for his glove at third base

 

 

 

To be clear, Sano is not the only thing going well for this team right now. But he is a sizable presence in the middle of the lineup, and seems to draw compliments at every turn. Wednesday, those compliments were directed at his defense, as Sano found himself playing the field for the first time in his MLB career.

Sano went 3-for-3 in the field Wednesday, making routine plays looks routine. But listen to a couple of guys who have seen him more in the minor leagues than most and they'll tell you his got a chance to be an impact player with his glove - never mind his enormous offensive potential.

"I've seen him enough at third base to know he's plenty athletic over there," said Paul Molitor, the current manager and former minor league instructor. 
"You hope that he makes the plays that are routine. I think he's going to make some great plays along the way," Molitor said. "His M.O. in the past has been that he gets a little too casual on the routine plays. I think his arm has been fine coming back from his [Tommy John] surgery, we're not too concerned about that.

"Every day we're out there, we're working on his foot work, softening his glove, making sure [of] his preparation, how he gets started to make sure his feet are on time when the ball's in the hitting zone."

With as well as Plouffe has played third base this season, though, don't count on this being a regular occurrence. Sano will play some in the field, including first base and maybe even outfield, but primarily he's on this team to hit and to provide production in the DH spot. 

"We told him initially that most of his at-bats are going to be in the DH slot given our personnel and where we're at defensively right now," Molitor said. "That's why we're trying to expand what he can do out there in the field," he added, referring to pregame working at first base and in the outfield.

"We like to get him out there now and then, I think it'll be important for him to do it when we can."

 

 

 

And then from Terry Ryan, rare and pretty effusive praise for Sano, leaving little doubt that the Twins  ultimately seem confident in Sano as a future mainstay at the Hot Corner:

 

 

 

One reason he played the field was to try to schedule in breaks for players during this grind in the schedule with 17 games in 17 days leading into the All-Star break. But the Twins also like his future at the position - despite some external questions around his size.

"He can really throw. He's really agile for a big man. He's got decent hands. And it's just a matter of consistency of making the plays and finishing the plays," GM Terry Ryan said. "His range is good enough. He can play third base."

He was originally signed as a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic in 2009, but he's bulked up considerably since then as he's grown up. Sano weighed more than 260 pounds at the beginning of spring training this year. But Ryan said Sano's lost some of that weight and he now weighs less than 260.

In any case, body weight in pounds won't be the determining factor as to whether Sano succeeds at third base. Based on Ryan and Molitor's evaluation, it sounds like Sano has the tools it takes to play there.

"He'll make plays that you're going to be shocked at," Ryan said. 

"The agility and the arm strength are probably the two things that stand out about this big fella," he continued. "He can really throw, he's got a powerful arm. It'll allow him to make some plays that others can't just because of the power of his arm."

It raises an interesting question for the Twins down the road, given how well Plouffe has established himself: Who is the third baseman?

But that's a question for a later date. For now, the Twins are happy to have production from both in the lineup.

 

[drjim]

Will be interesting to see if they move Plouffe in the offseason or if they have Sano spend a year (or two) moving around the field. Some 3B, some 1B, and some OF seems a likely outcome, as it always has.

[Halsey Hall]

They'd better move Poof in the off season, if not before.  Get what you can for him and Sano takes over 3rd.