Need to take a hard look at Sano.

[akmanak]

At the start of todays game Sano is hitting a putrid .209 and has looked like absolute garbage at the plate.

 

He is still continually chasing the low pitches and frankly I dont see that changing. With Cruz and Garver coming back I think we will have plenty of firepower and wont miss his whopping 5 homeruns.

 

With the trade deadline starting to creep up I think it is time to turn the page and dump him.

[laloesch]

Yeah he isn't living up to expectations AGAIN. Guy has no plate discipline whatsover. You might be right.

[Tom Froemming]

He's slugging .643. No need for knee-jerk reactions when you have a double-digit lead in the division.

[MNT1996]

Sano has just 42 ABs this season so far. 42. Let's chill and give him some time before bringing out the pitchforks.

[Danchat]

Against some pitchers, his uppercut swing just isn't doing it - he's looking like Slo-Mo (Morrison) from last year. The HRs he'll hit will probably make him worth it statistically, but I'm concerned against better pitching he's going to stink at the plate. There's still plenty of time to turn things around, but he looks like the same player as last year.

[USAFChief]

Tough to stick with him. Just an easy out far too often.

[ChrisKnutson]

Sano’s hasn’t even reached 100 at bats yet, no need to worry about him just yet. However, if his 2019 season does end up as another disappointing campaign, I’d definitely entertain the idea of trading him in the offseason.

[crapforks]

Yup! And they should have dumped Marwin earlier. Berríos should have been released after he had a rough patch. I also don’t know how Rogers is still in the league after the Milwaukee series.

[MNT1996]

I'm looking at him at 2nd!

[james2334]

Things must really be going well when we are talking about getting rid of a player with an OPS over .900.

[ewen21]

 

Yup! And they should have dumped Marwin earlier. Berríos should have been released after he had a rough patch. I also don’t know how Rogers is still in the league after the Milwaukee series.

Did the initial post suggest that we should DFA him?

 

Is all criticism to be viewed as "PANIC" now?  The guy suggested we trade him at the deadline and while I do not agree with that he has a right to his opinion without being mocked.  If anything Sano has proven thus far this season that he has little interest in evolving as a hitter.

 

What the heck.  We might as well start considering that maybe he can be a trade chip to bring in pitching. This isn't a discussion that should be verboten

[Brandon]

Seriously?  You want to dump a player with over a .900 OPS?  Who is your favorite team?  Should we trade him there?  I bet Sano still gets to 30 HRs this season.  

[crapforks]

 

Did the initial post suggest that we should DFA him?

 

Is all criticism to be viewed as "PANIC" now?  The guy suggested we trade him at the deadline and while I do not agree with that he has a right to his opinion without being mocked.  If anything Sano has proven thus far this season that he has little interest in evolving as a hitter.

 

What the heck.  We might as well start considering that maybe he can be a trade chip to bring in pitching. This isn't a discussion that should be verboten

"I think it is time to turn the page and dump him."

[tarheeltwinsfan]

 

Seriously?  You want to dump a player with over a .900 OPS?  Who is your favorite team?  Should we trade him there?  I bet Sano still gets to 30 HRs this season.  

I'll take that bet. 

[TheLeviathan]

The guy has a .900 OPS in 50 ABs after missing Spring Training.......did the Onion sneak on to Twins Daily?

[luckylager]

Dump him?!

 

Ridiculous.

[Thegrin]

In the beginning... Sano had plate discipline and hit singles and got opposite field hits.  Now, not so much.  I won't seriously worry until he has logged 250 at bats or more. 

[prouster]

A compelling and well considered argument. I don’t know how the Twins can keep him after reading this.

[Jham]

Seriously? You want to dump a player with over a .900 OPS? Who is your favorite team? Should we trade him there? I bet Sano still gets to 30 HRs this season.

Who would you have us trade for pitching?

[ashbury]

At the start of todays game Sano is hitting a putrid .209 and has looked like absolute garbage at the plate.

 

He is still continually chasing the low pitches and frankly I dont see that changing. With Cruz and Garver coming back I think we will have plenty of firepower and wont miss his whopping 5 homeruns.

 

With the trade deadline starting to creep up I think it is time to turn the page and dump him.

 

Did the initial post suggest that we should DFA him?

 

Is all criticism to be viewed as "PANIC" now?  The guy suggested we trade him at the deadline and while I do not agree with that he has a right to his opinion without being mocked.  If anything Sano has proven thus far this season that he has little interest in evolving as a hitter.

 

What the heck.  We might as well start considering that maybe he can be a trade chip to bring in pitching. This isn't a discussion that should be verboten

From a moderator's standpoint, the thread got off on a very bad footing with a term like "garbage", and then continued badly as people responded in kind. I'd kindly ask that everyone tone down the rhetoric just a notch.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Tough to stick with him. Just an easy out far too often.

And this is why the strikeout rate will continue to worry me if it's over 33% of PAs. It's very hard to become a rounded (and great) hitter when you're giving away that many PAs.

 

With that said, Miguel is absolutely crushing the ball when he makes contact. The team has the luxury of just letting him figure it out through the summer and hope something clicks.

[gunnarthor]

Sano will be fine. Just needs at-bats.

[MNT1996]

 

And this is why the strikeout rate will continue to worry me if it's over 33% of PAs. It's very hard to become a rounded (and great) hitter when you're giving away that many PAs.

 

With that said, Miguel is absolutely crushing the ball when he makes contact. The team has the luxury of just letting him figure it out through the summer and hope something clicks.

 

What's the difference between a groundball or flyball out and a strikeout when no runners are on base? Nothing. As long as Sano produces around his career OBP and has good RBI and OPS numbers with RISP I have no concerns about how much he strikes out. 

 

Look at Stanton of the Yankees last year. K'd over 33% of his PAs. Had 100 RBIs and 38 HRs with a OPS of .852. Very productive guy. As long as Sano produces (like he has so far), K's shouldn't define him. 

[Don Walcott]

If Sano hits exactly as he has in his first 11 games this season, and plays 100 games total this season, here are his totals:

 

45 HR, 27 doubles, 63 walks, 99 runs, 81 RBI . . . in 100 games. He's also on pace for 9 game-winning home runs. His OPS is .963. His OPS+ is 148.

 

And that doesn't count the HR he hit against the Rays last night that was stopped by a speaker.

 

[EDIT] Just realized he's played 12 games now. So if he replicates his first 12 games through 100 games, he'd hit 40 HR, 32 doubles, 56 walks, 88 runs and 80 RBI, with a .926 OPS.

[Obsvr]

 

If Sano hits exactly as he has in his first 11 games this season, and plays 100 games total this season, here are his totals:

 

45 HR, 27 doubles, 63 walks, 99 runs, 81 RBI . . . in 100 games. He's also on pace for 9 game-winning home runs. His OPS is .963. His OPS+ is 148.

 

And that doesn't count the HR he hit against the Rays last night that was stopped by a speaker.

 

[EDIT] Just realized he's played 12 games now. So if he replicates his first 12 games through 100 games, he'd hit 40 HR, 32 doubles, 56 walks, 88 runs and 80 RBI, with a .926 OPS.

 

/End thread

 

 

[MNT1996]

 

If Sano hits exactly as he has in his first 11 games this season, and plays 100 games total this season, here are his totals:

 

45 HR, 27 doubles, 63 walks, 99 runs, 81 RBI . . . in 100 games. He's also on pace for 9 game-winning home runs. His OPS is .963. His OPS+ is 148.

 

And that doesn't count the HR he hit against the Rays last night that was stopped by a speaker.

 

[EDIT] Just realized he's played 12 games now. So if he replicates his first 12 games through 100 games, he'd hit 40 HR, 32 doubles, 56 walks, 88 runs and 80 RBI, with a .926 OPS.

 

And just like that...the narrative that Sano isn't deserving of being on the field is blown up. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

What's the difference between a groundball or flyball out and a strikeout when no runners are on base? Nothing. As long as Sano produces around his career OBP and has good RBI and OPS numbers with RISP I have no concerns about how much he strikes out. 

 

Look at Stanton of the Yankees last year. K'd over 33% of his PAs. Had 100 RBIs and 38 HRs with a OPS of .852. Very productive guy. As long as Sano produces (like he has so far), K's shouldn't define him. 

I never said Sano can't produce, I'm saying he can't hit his ceiling if he's giving away a full one-third (or more, in this case) of his plate appearances without putting the ball in play.

 

And no, there's nothing different between a strikeout and fly/groundball out. But you're looking at only the negative outcome of a ball in play, not the ~30-35% of the time a batted ball drops safely for a hit. A strikeout has no positive outcome, only a negative.

[nicksaviking]

Every other Twin from last year who got to participate in spring training saw their strikeout rates drop. Not hyperbole. Every. Single Hitter.

 

I’m not worried about the guy with an OPS over .900

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Every other Twin from last year who got to participate in spring training saw their strikeout rates drop. Not hyperbole. Every. Single Hitter.

I’m not worried about the guy with an OPS over .900

I'm not particularly worried about Sano's stats this season, I'm worried that his career low in strikeout percentage is 35.5%. That was also his rookie season so that's another not-awesome point to bring up.

[gman]

Most players in spring training get to practice against other players in spring training. Then many struggle the first month or so. Let him get to 150 at bats or so before we start making deals that help other teams. As others have already mentioned he has earned his place in the lineup.