Article: That's The Ticket: The Sano Show

[Nick Nelson]

Last year, the Baltimore Orioles charged to the American League Championship Series on the strength of power-hitting. They led the major league with 211 home runs during the regular season and bashed four more in a three-game sweep over Detroit in the ALDS.

 

The Orioles are once again hitting the ball out of the park frequently this year, but the Twins will counter with their own intimidating power bat: Miguel Sano makes his Target Field debut on Monday night.Sano has been one of pre-eminent home run hitters in the minors ever since he signed as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic back in 2009. His home run totals were rising steadily – from seven to 20 to 28 to 35 – as he underwent a dramatic physical transformation.

 

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Sano missed the entire 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but picked up right where he left off this year and was on pace for another 30-homer campaign at Double-A before being called up last week to take over DH duties in Minnesota.

 

With Joey Gallo shipped back to Triple-A by the Rangers last week, Sano is now the clear-cut top power-hitting rookie in the American League. In four games so far with the Twins, he has collected several hits and made a lot of hard contact, but we haven't yet seen him launch his first home run as a big-leaguer.

 

Since entering pro baseball, Sano has homered about once every four games, on average. Based on that history, we should expect his first long ball at Target Field this week. He will have some favorable opportunities to do so as the Twins host an Orioles club that has allowed the third-most home runs in the league.

 

Want to witness history and see Sano's first MLB dinger in person? Here's a look at the three starting pitchers that the young slugger stands to face.

 

Monday, 7:10 PM: LHP Wei-Yin Chen vs. RHP Phil Hughes

 

Chen is a very good pitcher, as his 2.84 ERA will attest, but he has one clear weakness and that's the home run. He has surrendered 15 bombs in 95 innings this year, and his 1.4 HR/9 rate is 10th highest in the American League. Thirteen of the 15 homers Chen has allowed have been hit by right-handed batters, and Sano was slashing an absurd .349/.451/.791 against southpaws in Double-A before being called up.

 

Forecast (courtesy Weather.com): High of 74, chance of rain

 

Tuesday, 7:10 PM: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Kyle Gibson

 

A dominant college starter at LSU, Gausman was selected two picks after Byron Buxton in the 2012 draft, and was the first pitcher taken. The righty has been as advertised, rising rapidly through the minors, debuting in the majors less than a year after being drafted, and now once again excelling in the Baltimore rotation at age 24. He's not all that homer-prone, and his tough breaking stuff from the right side could give Sano some troubles (righties are batting .130 and slugging .217 against Gausman this year). If he can connect with one of those 95 MPH heaters, though...

 

Forecast: High of 72, mostly sunny

 

Wednesday, 12:10 PM: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. LHP Tommy Milone

 

Jimenez has impressively reinvented himself as a pitcher. When he first emerged as a dominant young ace for the Rockies, he leaned heavily on a hard fastball that routinely buzzed in at 96 MPH. He lost effectiveness as he aged and his velocity diminished, but now he's averaging a strikeout per inning with a 2.96 ERA for the O's, with a fastball that averages just 90.5 MPH. How is he doing it? Adding a nasty splitter to his repertoire has been key – Mike Pelfrey can no doubt relate.

 

Forecast: High of 76, partly cloudy

 

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[HitInAPinch]

4 games, 15 AB's.  I'm not remotely concerned about the HR's.  I really like his approach at the plate and his attention to what's going on in teammates AB's. 

Now comes the big test:  adjustments.  Sano will start seeing a bevy of sliders.  He seems to have the quick bat to be able to adjust.

[tobi0040]

 

4 games, 15 AB's.  I'm not remotely concerned about the HR's.  I really like his approach at the plate and his attention to what's going on in teammates AB's. 

Now comes the big test:  adjustments.  Sano will start seeing a bevy of sliders.  He seems to have the quick bat to be able to adjust.

 

He put one four feet up the fence and another that bounced and hit the wall in deep center.

 

His at bats have been awesome so far.

[spinowner]

Patrick Reusse has predicted that Sano will be the first player to hit a ball over the third deck in left field and out of Target Field. While I don't think that will happen this week (at age 22 does he have his man muscles yet?) he's one of those players whose plate appearances you don't want to miss because something noteworthy can happen any time.

[John Kelsey]

 

Patrick Reusse has predicted that Sano will be the first player to hit a ball over the third deck in left field and out of Target Field. While I don't think that will happen this week (at age 22 does he have his man muscles yet?) he's one of those players whose plate appearances you don't want to miss because something noteworthy can happen any time.

 

This won't happen. 

 

If Giancarlo couldn't do it in the derby, Sano won't do it in a game. 

[Mike Sixel]

Gausman is back in the rotation? Man, they have jerked him around a lot.......

[jimbo92107]

Not sure I've ever seen a Twins player that looks like he belongs in Vikings training camp. Miguel Sano is built like an NFL defensive end / pass rushing linebacker, almost like Anthony Barr. And Sano is fast, too. His first career hit was a dribbled grounder to short, and he beat it out. He runs hard!

 

Given what I've seen so far of Sano's athleticism, I could see him playing corner outfield, third base or first as a position player. For this season, if the Twins actually reached the Series, The Twins would have to decide where they could play him depending on the defensive situation. Probably right field, given Sano's reputed canon arm.

Edited July 6, 2015 by jimbo92107

[spinowner]

 

Patrick Reusse has predicted that Sano will be the first player to hit a ball over the third deck in left field and out of Target Field. While I don't think that will happen this week (at age 22 does he have his man muscles yet?) he's one of those players whose plate appearances you don't want to miss because something noteworthy can happen any time.

 

 

This won't happen. 

 

If Giancarlo couldn't do it in the derby, Sano won't do it in a game. 

The higher the velocity of a pitch, the higher the velocity of a batted ball. If a 95-mph fastball is struck in the same manner as a 65-mph pitch the former will leave the bat at a higher velocity than the latter. That's why Sano (or someone like Stanton) has a chance to do in a game what Stanton didn't do in the derby. Plus Sano will have many more opportunities to try to do it.

Edited July 6, 2015 by spinowner

[Willihammer]

Its still way early but I've been impressed by Sano's zone judgement out of the gate. The Royals came after him with some offspeed stuff in the dirt and he laid off most of them nicely, and actually worked a few counts. Can't wait to watch him take more ABs.

[d-mac]

 

Its still way early but I've been impressed by Sano's zone judgement out of the gate. The Royals came after him with some offspeed stuff in the dirt and he laid off most of them nicely, and actually worked a few counts. Can't wait to watch him take more ABs.

 

Agreed. From the limited games I've seen him play (ST in '13 and '15 and the Royal's series) he takes professional ABs and has a solid understanding of the strikezone. That's why I'm bullish on his bat. He could turn into an absolute MONSTER at the plate in a year or two. 

[d-mac]

 

Gausman is back in the rotation? Man, they have jerked him around a lot.......

 

What the Orioles and Twins are doing to Gausman and May, respectively are fireable offenses if I was the owner of the team, IMO. 

[Dantes929]

 

Patrick Reusse has predicted that Sano will be the first player to hit a ball over the third deck in left field and out of Target Field. While I don't think that will happen this week (at age 22 does he have his man muscles yet?) he's one of those players whose plate appearances you don't want to miss because something noteworthy can happen any time.

I really hope they give him a clicker instead of a tape measure for his home runs.   I want quantity of home runs and don't care about the distance.   The two aren't mutually exclusive but I really don't want him falling in love with the tape measure.

[spinowner]

 

I really hope they give him a clicker instead of a tape measure for his home runs.   I want quantity of home runs and don't care about the distance.   The two aren't mutually exclusive but I really don't want him falling in love with the tape measure.

I agree, but a 500-foot home run is still something special. It's kind of like I've heard said about the Grand Canyon: It ain't nothing but a hole in the ground, but you should see it!

[John Kelsey]

This kid is having some really impressive ABs early on. It's really early and teams probably haven't found his weakness yet (looks like it could be high fastballs), but I think he'll be able to stick the rest of the year. 

 

I'm much more confident that he'll be able to keep it going than I am with Rosario. 

 

 

[DaveW]

What the Orioles and Twins are doing to Gausman and May, respectively are fireable offenses if I was the owner of the team, IMO.

That's a little over the top.

[DaveW]

This kid is having some really impressive ABs early on. It's really early and teams probably haven't found his weakness yet (looks like it could be high fastballs), but I think he'll be able to stick the rest of the year.

 

I'm much more confident that he'll be able to keep it going than I am with Rosario.

His pitch selection has been phenomanal thus far. That at bat in the 9th was great.

[HitInAPinch]

 

He put one four feet up the fence and another that bounced and hit the wall in deep center.

 

His at bats have been awesome so far.

I don't know if I've seen another MiLB hitter come up and have AB's like Sano!

[DaveW]

I don't know if I've seen another MiLB hitter come up and have AB's like Sano!

Bryant comes to mind.

[ashbury]

The higher the velocity of a pitch, the higher the velocity of a batted ball. If a 95-mph fastball is struck in the same manner as a 65-mph pitch the former will leave the bat at a higher velocity than the latter. That's why Sano (or someone like Stanton) has a chance to do in a game what Stanton didn't do in the derby. Plus Sano will have many more opportunities to try to do it.

Yes, this is why HR Derby contestants tell their hand-picked pitchers to lob it up there slowly, so they can get less distance on the ball.

[tobi0040]

 

I don't know if I've seen another MiLB hitter come up and have AB's like Sano!

 

His eye at the plate has been outstanding.  Even his strikeouts I believe have all or almost all been on 3-2 counts.

[spinowner]

 

Yes, this is why HR Derby contestants tell their hand-picked pitchers to lob it up there slowly, so they can get less distance on the ball.

The derby is not a distance contest.