Twins Prospects: Who Gets The Call, And When?

March 21, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins infielder Miguel Sano (97) in the dugout against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Miguel Sano (Mid to Late 2015)

Much like Buxton, Sano found his 2014 to be a wasted year. Having underwent Tommy John surgery before the season got underway, he found himself on the shelf. During Spring Training this season, Sano will look to knock off some of the leftover rust having not faced consistent live pitching.

Sano is on the active roster, and while Trevor Plouffe appears to be entrenched at third base for the time being, Sano could force his bat upon the Twins. In September last season, designated hitter Kennys Vargas struggled at the plate. If that trend continues into 2015, Sano could provide a boost at the plate. While he likely won’t hit much more than .250, 30 home runs in a full season is a very realistic possibility for the Twins young slugger.

For the Twins to call upon Sano, a couple of moving parts need to be considered. Vargas is Minnesota’s only true backup first basemen. Would Plouffe have positional flexibility? Is Sano capable of handling third base at the major league level? Quite a few questions would have to be answered. Based on his bat alone, Sano should find himself called up before Buxton, with August looking possible. Again, the worst case would be a late season September promotion.