Minnesota Twins: 3 Reasons why Miguel Sanó will Finish Strong in 2020

The Minnesota Twins’ Miguel Sanó started off cold in 2020, but has gotten hot as the year has progressed. He may just be getting started.

In 2020, the Minnesota Twins have seen two versions of Miguel Sanó. The first version of Sanó got off to a slow start at the plate through his first 13 games, but the second version saw him bounce back and even come close to setting a team record for most consecutive games with an extra base hit.

Sanó’s first three at bats on Saturday are symbolic to these versions, showing how his season has gone with the theme of overcoming a slow start and getting stronger as time goes on. Sanó struck out on his first at-bat. He followed that up with an RBI single in his second at-bat. He then turned it up a notch.

In his third at-bat Sanó hit a home run to left field before delivering in that fourth at bat with the game was on the line. Sanó added an RBI single to tie the game at three in the ninth inning. Later that inning, Byron Buxton would beat out a throw to first base, capping off the ninth inning rally with a walk-off RBI single as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3.

On Saturday, Sanó came to his first at bat with 122 at-bats prior and struck out 61 times. “Though half of his at bats result in strikeouts, it is not a bad thing, because Sanó is constantly swinging with power,” former Twin Justin Morneau said during Saturday’s broadcast.

“While Sanó could be more selective for when to power swing and when to swing purely for contact, with Sanó’s production his aggressive approach is making him effective whether he is hitting in gaps for base hits or hitting over the fence.”  Morneau said, justifying that Sanó’s approach is what creates big plays.

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With the Twins entering the final third of this 2020 season, here are three reasons why fans should feel optimistic about Sanó heading into the final third of the season.