Minnesota Twins: The precipitous decline of Miguel Sano
Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano has gone from an All Star to the Fort Myers Miracle in A ball in less than a year.
At this time last year, Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano appeared to be emerging as a star. As of June 14, 2017, Sano had posted a stellar .292/.391/.589 batting line, hitting 16 homers. He had established himself as a key building block for the Twins, making his first All Star Game while appearing to tap into that immense potential en route to becoming a star.
What a difference a year can make. Sano has struggled mightily this season, posting a .203/.270/.405 batting line, hitting seven homers and striking out 66 times in 163 plate appearances. Those struggles have gotten to the point where the Twins not only sent Sano to the minors, but sent him down to the Fort Wayne Miracle of the Florida State League.
Twins option Miguel Sano, an All-Star in 2017, to Class A Ft Myers.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) June 14, 2018
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Sano’s struggles became even more pronounced after returning from the disabled list due to a hamstring injury. as he produced a .191/.247/.353 batting line with two homers and 30 strikeouts in 73 plate appearances. However, Sano had not been playing at his previous level prior to the injury, as he posted a .213/.289/.450 batting line with five homers and 36 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances.
While Sano has always struggled to make contact, his strikeout rates have increased this season, as he is striking out at in 40.5% of his plate appearances. Meanwhile, Sano’s walk rate has dropped from 11.2% in 2017 down to 8.6$ this season. Even when he is making contact, Sano is not hitting the ball as well, with his 16% line drive rate a decrease of 11 points from the previous year. Although he is putting the ball in the air more frequently, Sno has not found that same success from the launch angle revolution.
By heading down to Fort Myers, Sano is getting a chance to start over. It is a chance for him to retool his swing without the pressure of being ready to immediately return to the majors. Even Sano himself realizes this needs to happen, saying that he is happy to be heading down to Fort Myers.
It may have been a shock to see the Minnesota Twins send Miguel Sano all the way down to the Florida State League. However, for the future of both the Twins and their third baseman, this may prove to be the right move.