Wetmore: "Big Boy" Sano making an impression

[Seth Stohs]

1500 ESPN's Derek Wetmore wrote a fun article on Miguel Sano.

 

Obviously he discusses the power. And, he talks about the concerns on defense with good quotes from Molitor about needing to be athletic at third base. He's fine now, but as he ages, he'll need to work even harder to be able to stay there.

 

He also wrote about his weight, but he's right where he was at this time last year, before Tommy John surgery:

 

 

 

One thing they'll have to keep an eye on is his playing weight. Sano says he weighs about 259 or 260 pounds right now, and that's pretty big for a third baseman. Miguel Cabrera, for comparison, is listed at 240 pounds.

"He's a big boy. He carries [the weight] pretty well, but you've got to have some athleticism," Molitor said. "He's got to keep that -- he's a young kid -- if he wants to play a corner infield position in the big leagues, especially third base. But he's doing fine. It's good to see him healthy. He hasn't had any issues with that elbow, and that's what we're trying to make sure we protect against as spring unfolds."

 

He's not worried about his fitness or his nutrition:

 

 

 

He's not all that interested in nutrition, though.

"No, no, I eat everything," Sano said with a smile. "I don't like the nutrition. [i eat] whatever I want. If there's something here I'm eating."

 

But... the power... legit!

[Major League Ready]

I find the quote from Sano basically saying he practices no discipline whatsoever maddening.  With so much riding on his mobility, not to mention a difference in 10s of millions of dollars if he can stay at 3rd, it is flat out stupid on the players part and where the heck is his agent and the Twins FO.  Someone needs to have a talk with this young man. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

I think people are being a bit too touchy about a quote where he says he eats everything. 

[Steven Buhr]

While I agree that we shouldn't over-react to his comments about not being too concerned with nutrition, I do fall on the side that sees it as a potential red flag.

 

Most of us weren't too concerned about nutrition when we were 21 years old. (Many of us, myself included, still aren't as concerned as we should be.)

 

But a growing percentage of young professional ballplayers are recognizing that their "job" as a professional athlete hinges on them being in top physical condition and that realization perhaps has not yet come to Sano.

 

Kent Hrbek became a lovable icon of Twins lore while eating himself out of the league prematurely. I'm hoping for more than that from Sano and the sooner he realizes that nutrition has a direct effect on his potential performance, the better.

[Monkeypaws]

I don't like the nutrition 

[Major League Ready]

I find the quote from Sano basically saying he practices no discipline whatsoever maddening.  With so much riding on his mobility, not to mention a difference in 10s of millions of dollars if he can stay at 3rd, it is flat out stupid on the players part and where the heck is his agent and the Twins FO.  Someone needs to have a talk with this young man. 

The quote is irrelevant.  It is very obvious he is not in great shape.  Sano could earn 10X what the average American earns in their entire lifetime in a single year.   Is it too much to ask that a professional athlete manage his diet and work out.  There is absolutely no excuse for a professional athlete not only to maintain their athleticism but do everything they can to improve it.   

[AlwaysinModeration]

Major League Ready--

You are replying to your own quote, which is somewhat maddening, and as you contradict yourself in your response, it also seems irrelevant.

 

All that said, I am not worried about Sano's cavalier approach in one quote about eating. Maybe it could be a long-term concern, but it's probably going to be quite while before we see this play out.

[diehardtwinsfan]

The quote is irrelevant.  It is very obvious he is not in great shape.  Sano could earn 10X what the average American earns in their entire lifetime in a single year.   Is it too much to ask that a professional athlete manage his diet and work out.  There is absolutely no excuse for a professional athlete not only to maintain their athleticism but do everything they can to improve it.   

 

1)  I'm not sure it's 'very obvious' that he's not in great shape. I think that's dangerous grounds to be on unless you happen to be a Twins coach who is on the field with him every day. Scouts are saying that there's question of whether or not he will stick at 3rd. That doesn't mean fat and out of shape. Others have noted that he moves quite well for his size, which I might add often times has little to nothing to do with nutrition.

2)  You go from 'very obvious' that he's not in great shape to an attack on his character. Again, unless you know him, these types of comments have little value. 

3)  You are basing this off of a comment where he said he eats everything in his sight without any idea what was meant by that. 

 

I think you are off base quite a bit here. If I start hearing it from the front office types, perhaps. But they've been pretty quiet on the subject. 

[Old Twins Cap]

 

Miguelito did not look like a professional 3-sacker on the double-play grounder he muffed today, but, a young kid like that, it happens. And, if he wants to go garbage-in -- garbage-out as human being who eats, that's his deal. But, over time, poor choices catch up with professional athletes and he will learn, through adversity, that he needs to do better.

[jokin]

 Is it too much to ask that a professional athlete manage his diet and work out?  

Not too much to ask, but with respect to diet, you've set your expectations way too high.  Certain body-types with certain metabolic rates are going to be bigger than "ideal", no matter how much those particular body-type players work out.  (I would wager that while Sano has a BMI that would label him "obese", he also likely has a body fat percentage close to or below 12%- or that of a top-flite baseball athlete at age 21).

 

 

There is absolutely no excuse for a professional athlete not only to maintain their athleticism but do everything they can to improve it.

Professional athletes, especially the most gifted ones, come up with 1000s of excuses for poor choices all the time.

[Paul Pleiss]

Don't worry about what Sano is eating as long as plantains, aka Power Bananas, remain part of his diet. When you're his age, for those of us who can remember that long ago, you really can pretty much eat anything you want. Give the guy a break. Go eat your fiber bar and take a chill pill.

[laloesch]

Don't worry about what Sano is eating as long as plantains, aka Power Bananas, remain part of his diet. When you're his age, for those of us who can remember that long ago, you really can pretty much eat anything you want. Give the guy a break. Go eat your fiber bar and take a chill pill.

 

I completely disagree.  That 20 lbs.(looks more like 30 /35) he gained after TJ will quickly become 40/45.  After watching him on mlbtv rounding the bases after his HR there's no way he's 260.  More like 270/280.  Keep in mind that he's gained 65 lbs. since 2010.  Just saying.