Mayo: Sano showing improved defense in Instructs

[Seth Stohs]

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121014&content_id=39801908&vkey=news_min&c_id=min&partnerId=aw-5571980665877633153-1803

 

mlb.com's Jonathan Mayo discussed Sano and other Twins top prospects that were at the Instructional League. Some good information and quotes from Rantz and Lepel.

[Mr. Ed]

I'd advocate having moved Sano up for part of the FM season,but again, that's too aggressive.

 

Besides, he really didn't need to play on a team that stunk it up for a 2nd straight year under Jake Mauer, with some guys who stagnated in Hi-A.

[Winston Smith]

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Mike Sixel]

Great news. Let's hope they can both play the infield.

[gunnarthor]

"One pro scouting director from another organization said he was sure Sano would be able to stay long-term at third." Well, that was fun to read.

[nicksaviking]

I think the fact that both have improved defensively while working the the instructors at Ft. Myers may indicate that moving them to where these skilled instructors were back in July probably would have been beneficial to their development.

[Jim Crikket]

I have no direct knowledge of how the instructional leagues work, but I've always just assumed that the "instructors" in the fall are actually coaches and roving minor league instructors that are spread out among the various minor league teams during the summer, as opposed to being a bunch of dedicated instructors located in Ft. Myers all summer long. If I'm right (which is always a big "if"), then having Sano and Rosario in Ft. Myers in July wouldn't have mattered since the instructors they're working with now would have been in Beloit, Elizabethton, etc., in July anyway.

[John Bonnes]

We talk a lot about the outfielders in the organization, but if Sano and Rosario can both stay in the infield, the infield could be pretty strong come 2015, too.

[Twins Twerp]

We talk a lot about the outfielders in the organization, but if Sano and Rosario can both stay in the infield, the infield could be pretty strong come 2015, too.

 

True...but I think most of us have the glass half empty opinion that Sano will get moved there or 1B and Rosario will not make a successful transition and end up in the OF as well. My fingers are as crossed as they can be that both are able to stay where they currently are. Speaking of infield, are we ever going to see a decent SS in the bigs or even a Prospect above highA ball who is a shortstop?

[Willihammer]

I am unaware if there are more detailed defensive statistics available for guys in A ball. Can anyone elaborate on Sano's defense?

[Seth Stohs]

I've pointed out several times that I definitely think that Sano can stay at third. Yup, he has to get better, but he is a great athlete. I think the biggest thing that Watkins and Prada did for him was having him take ground balls at SS during BP. He's immensely talented. He does work hard. He's got a rocket for an arm. The big thing, for me, was that he look so much better at 3B when I saw him in August than when I saw him in June. He just looked much more prepared, pre-pitch, and was in good position and all those things that a 3B needs to do. Will he be a 3B? We'll see. But having seen him, I definitely think he can.

 

As for Rosario at 2B, he looked kind of like a statue when I saw him in early June. That's kind of strange because in CF, he has great range. But 2B is much different. Again, when I saw him play 2B in August, he looked better. He turned a couple of nice DPs and made more routine plays. He had missed about 6 weeks in between the two times I saw him, so there wasn't a lot of time to work on things. He has a great arm.

 

With both, I would keep them in the infield as long as possible.

[nicksaviking]

We talk a lot about the outfielders in the organization, but if Sano and Rosario can both stay in the infield, the infield could be pretty strong come 2015, too.

 

True...but I think most of us have the glass half empty opinion that Sano will get moved there or 1B and Rosario will not make a successful transition and end up in the OF as well. My fingers are as crossed as they can be that both are able to stay where they currently are. Speaking of infield, are we ever going to see a decent SS in the bigs or even a Prospect above highA ball who is a shortstop?

 

I am much too cynical at times, but I'm not a glass-half-empty guy on this subject. Sano has question marks because of his size, but he has steadily been improving and it's not like he's dwarfing Scott Rolen. Rosario on the other hand I have little doubt about. In all of his videos, he looks to be a tremendous athlete. His body type and athleticism actually give me hopes he could be an elite defender some day.

[Seth Stohs]

I am much too cynical at times, but I'm not a glass-half-empty guy on this subject. Sano has question marks because of his size, but he has steadily been improving and it's not like he's dwarfing Scott Rolen. Rosario on the other hand I have little doubt about. In all of his videos, he looks to be a tremendous athlete. His body type and athleticism actually give me hopes he could be an elite defender some day.

 

Sano is an incredible athlete who is probably 6-4, 250... definitely Rolen size, and definitely as athletic as Rolen was.

 

Rosario is a little guy. A very good athlete and terrific hitter, but he isn't going to get terribly big, so you're right... he could develop into a good defensive 2B if he wants to.