Minnesota Twins: Slumping Sano Sits as Strikeouts Surge
Miguel Sano is taking the day off as the Minnesota Twins face the Tampa Bay Rays in hopes that will get him out of his strikeout slump.
The Minnesota Twins third baseman is having a great season, and leading the offense for the club. His season has been so great, many feel he could be an AL MVP candidate if not for Mike Trout. However, Miguel Sano has looked off lately, striking out in his last seven at bats.
Baseball season is 162 games long, so every player is bound to have an ugly stretch of games. If you are looking for an article about how “the sky is falling”, then you have come to the wrong place.
Miguel Sano is no stranger to strikeouts.
Sano tied for fifth in all of baseball in strikeouts in 2016. Yet, with all of those strikeouts, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a good eye at the plate. According to Fangraphs, Sano ranks in the top 40 this season at not chasing pitches outside of the strike zone. He is also inside the top 40 at swinging at strikes inside the strike zone.
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The problem for Sano has been his ability to make contact with these pitches. He currently ranks fourth in all of baseball at swings and misses. He has been given a steady diet of breaking balls in his slump, and is trouble making any contact.
The good news for Twins fans is Miguel Sano is just 24 years old. There are bound to be ups and downs in any young players development, and Sano is no exception. With Sano’s ability to differentiate balls and strikes with the best of them, he will put pitchers in situations where they have to throw him something to hit, or put him on first.
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In conclusion, this patience makes Sano a handful already, and I fully expect him to make adjustments to the breaking balls. He has the ability to carry this young team when he puts the full package together. Ultimately, the strikeouts won’t keep down this young superstar for long.