MLB: The most valued third baseman of 2019
7. Miguel Sano, Twins, $7.423 million value; $2.65 million salary
A .247 batting average doesn’t sound like much of a credential, but most of Sano’s other numbers were attention-getting. He delivered 34 home runs and a .923 OPS, those figures adding up to a career-best 138 OPS+.
His big drawing back, a consistent mark against Sano, was playing time. He missed nearly 60 games, the fourth successive season he has failed to start 45 or more of his team’s games.
When he plays, Sano is an offensive force at an offensive position. His .576 slugging average ranked fourth among all third basemen and valued out at $4.884 million. That .346 on-base average generated another $1.358 million.
The remainder of Sano’s resume isn’t up to snuff. His .926 fielding average – based on 17 errors in 230 chances – was the position’s worst, a full 10 percentage points below the next worst. Sano’s defense generated only $640,000 in value. And since he missed so many games, Sano played only 859 innings, nearly 200 fewer than the positional average. That brought just $540,000 in value.
It will come as no surprise that what the Twins have in Sano is an excellent hitter who plays an indifferent third base when he plays at all. You can go a long way at third just smiting the ball – that skill has carried Sano to the seventh spot among all who play the position.