Miguel Sano

[Seth Stohs]

I saw Sano is not playing in Beloit's game today. Does anyone know if it is a regular day off or if there is something else up? I don't know if he's missed a game yet this year so that could be it.

It is the first time he has not played this season for the Snappers. As of now, not hearing anything more than a day off, but it's intriguing enough that I'm putting out some feelers to see if there's any more to it.

[Seth Stohs]

Just a day off for Sano today.

[Mike Sixel]

Cannot wait to see this guy play someday.

[MWLFan]

MWM-

 

Come on down to Beloit!. But seriously, he could be very special in a couple of years in the majors. A Ball is a long way from the Majors with most players. He could push that, but you just want to make sure you get it right. This one you don't want to blow up on you.

[gunnarthor]

From baseball america's Prospect Hot Sheet-

"The top four prospects on the preseason Top 100 list are all currently in the big leagues. That means there will be plenty of spaces of new guys in the Top 10 for our midseason prospect update. One of the most likely candidates to move up is Twins 3B Miguel Sano. He ranked No. 18 before the season, but the biggest knock against him was that he had yet to play a game in full-season ball. That's no longer a concern—he's leading the Midwest League in home runs (10), slugging percentage (.645) and OPS (1.055). Sano went 8-for-28 (.286/.323/.714) with three home runs this week, pretty impressive for one of the youngest players in the league."

[Seth Stohs]

On Sunday (5/13), Sano hit a 3-run blast that led the Snappers to a 3-1 win over Clinton at Pohlman Field. On the season, he is now hitting .292/.408/.646 (1.054) with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs and 35 RBI. According to Director of Media Relations, Chrissy Scaffidi, Sano leads the MWL in HR, RBI, Slugging Percentage (.646) and Total Bases (84). In 152 plate appearances, he has 22 walks and 40 strikeouts. He has cut down his K-rate the last week or two, and as it approaches 4.0 (PA/K), I'd feel more comfortable with him being promoted. Still hoping he gets promoted July 4th.

[Pitz]

I saw Sano on Saturday. He was 0-3 (a little sad I missed him by a day as he hit a homerun on Sunday). I'm no scout but I thought I'd share some of my thoughts. The ball does indeed jump off his bat. His first at bat, he hit a hard line drive right at the right fielder. His final at bat was a GIDP, but it was an absolute smash right at the shortstop. I'm not trying to exaggerate, but its just obvious that he hits the ball hard. The scouting report in the program says he has 'easy power' and I think that describes what I saw. I don't think that those who are concerned about the Twins ruining his power by telling him he needs to use all fields need to worry too much. He did not appear to be set on pulling the ball and it looks like he has natural power to all fields. Of his 11 hrs - 6 to left, 1 - left center, 1 - center, 3 right.

As for the concerns with him:

 

Defense: He committed an ugly error, which was by all accounts a footwork problem. He literally stepped on his own foot as he fielded the ball going to his left and then still tried to throw to first off-balance sailing it to the fence. I think he has pretty good hands to handle the infield. He definitely has the arm for third, but certainly needs to work on his footwork and approach to the ball.

 

Plate Discipline: He saw 16 pitches in his four plate appearances. He didn't chase anything out of the zone. He also swung at all but one strike that he saw (didn't swing and miss). In my opinion, none of the pitches that he swung at were pitchers pitches and seemed hittable strikes so I can't blame him for swinging. He drew a walk in his second plate appearance and popped-out on a first pitch strike in his next at-bat. I'm not really drawing any conclusion from the day about his plate discipline but just thought I'd share what I saw.

[Seth Stohs]

Phil Mackey of 1500espn wrote a nice article on Sano this morning. Read the article, but this line says a lot to me:

 

"He'll have a chance," general manager Terry Ryan said Sunday. "I'm not sure he's quite ready, but when he's ready. ... I hope we do move him (up). I think all of us would like to see him move (up)."

[Seth Stohs]

Miguel Sano got another night off tonight in Beloit. It was the second straight Friday that he didn't play. He did pop out in a pinch-hitting spot in tonight's game. In his last ten games, he is now 6-34 (.176). However, he has struck out just six times in those 38 plate appearances (4 walks). I get people's wish for him to get rushed, but he just turned 19... he's going to have streaks like this.

[Seth Stohs]

Last night, Miguel Sano was 0-4 and committed his 15th error. He is 1-27 in his last 8 games. He is 3-36 since turning 19 (11 games).

[Seth Stohs]

On Thursday night, Miguel Sano singled to lead off the 10th inning for Beloit. The single ended an 0-24 slump. Since then, he is 3-9 and hopefully that streak (which was also 1-39) is over. Tonight, he was 2-4 with a sacrifice fly. He also committed his 18th error.

[Seth Stohs]

Sano was 0-6 today until the 12th inning when he drilled his 12th home run, a 3-run blast.

[gunnarthor]

Sano was 0-6 today until the 12th inning when he drilled his 12th home run, a 3-run blast.

Well, it's hard to go 0-7. :-)

[Seth Stohs]

In his second at bat today, Miguel Sano hit his 13th home run. HR in back-to-back games.

[Twins Fan From Afar]

OK. It's officially fine to talk about promoting him again.

[MWLFan]

Nate Roberts and Rosario also went deep. Big bats out today for the Snappers.

[MWLFan]

About every 14 AB's Sano homers, last year in the Appy League it was just over 13. The MWL is NOT a home run friendly league. Amazing stuff. GIANCARLO STANTON in the Sally League- 12 ab's for every homer. He hit 39 that year in 468 AB's. I don't have the stats here but that league is more of a haven for hitters then what we see up here. So Sano's numbers are not inflated by the league, if anything he is probably being held back a bit.

[Seth Stohs]

Saw Sano play the last two nights. I'll be logging the three day, two game trip here at Twins Daily, including some pictures. I'm hoping to even post a little video. On Friday night in Quad Cities, he was 0-3 with two walks and two strikeouts. Last night, in the first inning, he crushed the ball in his first at bat and I have no idea how the pitcher caught it, other than self-defense. In his next at bat, he roped a line drive to the left center field gap for a double. THen he hit a hard line drive single to left field. He stole a base. He made a couple of nice plays and showed off a very strong arm... but he also threw one up the line that the 1B had to go get and make a tag, and he dropped a pop up last night for his 20th error of the season. It was with two outs and two unearned runs scored.

 

So many who haven't seen him play say to move him up. I am yet to read one person who has seen him play in person say that he should move up. And now I count myself among that group. I've seen him play (just two games) and clearly he is where he should be. In my mind, he's probably even more of an exciting prospect now that I've seen him, yet, I totally feel that he is where he should be.

[Mike Sixel]

Seth, why is he still at 3B? It is pretty clear he will be in RF or 1B, isn't it? Why do they keep guys at positions where they know they won't play? Or, do you think there is any chance he is at 3B?

[Seth Stohs]

I think there is a chance he stays there and it's a position for power, and it's a position of need. He'll need to work hard if he wants to stay there, and certainly the coaches are pushing him. People with the Twins think that there is a chance he can stay at third. I'd want to keep him there as long as possible.

[Guest USAFChief]

Keeping any player in low a ball for defensive purposes is flat stupid. You move players up in the low minors based on their ability to handle the pitching at the level they're at. There is nothing to be learned about playing third base at Beloit that can't be learned at Ft Myers. Nothing.

[Seth Stohs]

Keeping any player in low a ball for defensive purposes is flat stupid. You move players up in the low minors based on their ability to handle the pitching at the level they're at. There is nothing to be learned about playing third base at Beloit that can't be learned at Ft Myers. Nothing.

I don't completely disagree (would wouldn't say it's "flat stupid" though for sure. Sano struggles with breaking pitches. And that would be made even more clear if he moved up a level where suddenly the breaking pitches are even sharper.

[Guest USAFChief]

I don't completely disagree (would wouldn't say it's "flat stupid" though for sure. Sano struggles with breaking pitches. And that would be made even more clear if he moved up a level where suddenly the breaking pitches are even sharper.

In which case, fine. If he has issues at the plate, leave him there. I obviously haven't seen him play, and even if I had, making judgements based on a couple games is pretty iffy. I'm saying his defense shouldn't hold any promotion up at this point of his career. When/if he's proven he can handle the pitching at this level, there is no benefit to leaving him there.

[Seth Stohs]

Miguel Sano was one of seven Snappers players named to the Midwest League All-Star game.

[Seth Stohs]

Sano today ripped his 15th home run of the year. It was a grand slam in the Snappers' six-run fifth inning today. Sano was 2-5 in the game to raise his average to .243.

[lecroy24fan]

I went to the game in Beloit last night. Sano looks awful at 3B. Every throw was 8 feet or higher, he has a stutter step on every grounder hit to him, and looks likehe uses an OF glove, as he had issues getting the ball out of his glove each time. I would have thpought major issues like these would have been worked out by now.

[CwK]

I went to the game in Beloit last night. Sano looks awful at 3B. Every throw was 8 feet or higher, he has a stutter step on every grounder hit to him, and looks likehe uses an OF glove, as he had issues getting the ball out of his glove each time. I would have thpought major issues like these would have been worked out by now.

Illusion shattered...

[MWLFan]

Take some deep breaths. This is Low A Ball. Everyone is working on something, some things are major pieces like throwing the ball within current area code. Others more subtle, yesterday I saw Paul Molitor pulling Tyler Grimes aside after a trip around the bases and talk with him. My guess is it was a few tips from a master, but it could have been about some hot single girl behind the dug out. (Hold on I was in Beloit...accessing memory on that. Nope not a smokin hot babe in 40 miles.) But everyone is working on something. Sano is working on playing defense and not going all Pedro Cerrano on breaking balls. (Jo-bo is does not help with the breaking ball Miguel.) Could he someday be a 1st baseman, sure. But 3d would be better with his abilities. HE WILL NOT SOLVE THE ISSUES AT TARGET FIELD THIS YEAR OR NEXT!

[lecroy24fan]

Chill dude. I am not expecting him to be here any earlier than 2014. But the mistakes I saw are inexcusable. When the throw is the same every time then something isn't right. Nobody should be stutter stepping on every ground ball, and really on any play.

 

But my biggest beef is that he's using a glove way too big for an IF. Somebody has to be seeing this stuff.

[Turd Furgeson]

He had two errors in the game you saw, if I remember correctly. While he has a ton of errors this year, that would probably qualify as one of his worst games, defensively. From what I've heard from others is that he is capable of playing the position but needs a lot of fine tuning. He's going to improve but he may never be able to play 3rd at the Major League level. He's barely 19 and his defense has never been his strong point so give it time for him to learn.