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José Miranda hit safely in 12 consecutive at-bats at one point this season. His offensive numbers were exceptional at that moment, and he looked like a core piece of the lineup. Just like a few years ago, an injury soon followed, and Miranda’s production came crashing down. How does another injury-wrecked season affect him, and the Twins?
Through Jul. 10, Miranda had posted an .888 OPS when he was placed on the IL with a back injury. Upon his return at the end of July, it was immediately apparent that Miranda’s back was still not right. In just over 150 plate appearances over the last two months, Miranda posted a .543 OPS. He was placed on the IL for the same back injury just days before the end of the season, and once again, he looks like a question mark heading into 2025.
Miranda’s upside is obvious. He’s flashed it multiple times since he debuted in 2022. Unfortunately, he's matched the Twins' team-wide level of consistency during that period, bouncing between elite offensive production and offering absolutely nothing at the plate. These stretches are concerning, and even if they can be entirely chalked up to injury struggles, Miranda has now had two consecutive seasons ruined by injuries. With a roster now defined by at least three other star offensive players with the same concerns, it’s discouraging to see Miranda falling into the same bucket.
It will be interesting to see how much the Twins trust Miranda. With Carlos Santana likely leaving via free agency, Miranda looked like his successor at first base, at one point this year. It would have been ideal for the Twins, who could have slotted him in cheaply, to deploy their financial or prospect capital in other areas of need.
Miranda was already a question mark defensively, even at first base. Now, the Twins must be concerned about how much of Miranda’s struggles result from injury and whether he can stay healthy for an entire season.
Even when healthy, Miranda’s offensive profile has some red flags. His plate approach involves a lot of swinging and making contact, sometimes to his detriment. His barrel rate is in the 28th percentile, as he swings too indiscriminately. This plate approach leads to at least some of the extreme streakiness from Miranda in his career. If pitchers live on the edges and do not make mistakes, Miranda will often make poor contact and get himself out. The ups and downs are likely to be more extreme in Miranda’s case, and we’ve seen plenty of this.
With limited funds this offseason, the Twins may have to roll with Miranda at first base, regardless of their thoughts on why Miranda’s performance suffered in the second half. In previous years, they insulated certain positions when the incumbents were questionable. Sadly, those days are probably over in a new age of low payroll for the Twins.
Miranda is still a big question mark, and he’s joined the group of Correa, Buxton, and Lewis as high-upside position players on this roster who seem likely to miss chunks of time throughout any given season. The Twins enter the offseason needing to hold a roster spot for him, but unsure of how much playing time to allot to him as they look toward 2025.
Do you think Miranda’s second half was solely the result of injury? Has he reached the point where the Twins shouldn’t rely on him to play an entire season? Let us know below!
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