Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins was sent to their Single-A affiliate Fort Meyers on Thursday. This comes amidst a terrible slump in which he has batted only .203 with 7 homers and 27 RBI.
Twins option Miguel Sano, an All-Star in 2017, to Class A Ft Myers.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) June 14, 2018
Miguel Sano Demoted to Single-A
What Happened?
Last year, Sano was an American League All-Star and participated in the home-run derby. This year is a complete 180-degree turn. Last year, Sano hit .264/.352/.504 with 28 homers and 77 RBI. This year has been a complete nightmare for him, with a .203/.270/.405 split with only 7 homers to boot.
What’s Next?
Sano will most likely spend some extended time in the minors to get himself right. Last year Kyle Schwarber went through the same issue where he just looked overwhelmed and overmatched as well. He is definitely not alone and it is nothing he should be ashamed of, as everyone hits a crippling slump every once in a while. Last season, after Schwarber righted the ship, he came back for the playoff run, and that’s what the Twins are hoping this year if they’re in contention.
Twin Killing
The plan for the Twins is to “reboot” the all-star while staying in playoff contention. The Twins are currently 6 games behind the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central standings. The Twins expect to get a better version of Sano come playoff time if they can stay in contention for either the Central crown or an AL Wildcard spot. When asked about the move manager Paul Molitor said, “we have his best interests in mind, and we don’t feel right now we’re getting what we need from him. He’s going to have to go down there and get to work.”
This move has more to do with Sano’s overall health, swing, and approach. Instead of taking the traditional route and saying “go get some swings in Triple-A” they are starting over. He will get to work on his pitch recognition, his powerful approach and get into better physical shape. Cutting down on the strikeouts will also be a focus of his, to go along with getting his swing right again.
Hopefully, we will all soon see Sano back in the majors, as he is a fun talent to watch hit, and play the field. He will eventually get his swing right and be back to terrorizing opposing pitchers. When he comes back, watch out, we may be in for a show. He is a bright young star with a promising future if he can bounce back. Until then, catch him in Single-A with the Fort Meyers Miracle.
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