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

Reason No. 3: The slow start is behind Sanó

Through Sanó’s first five games in 2020, he had been limited to one hit in his first 17 at-bats to comprise a battering average of .059. Over the next eight games it didn’t improve much either, as he was batting .111 over the first 13 games.

Sanó has never been a great average hitter, but this was egregious. He broke out of the slump in early August before going on a tear later that month. What was the primary cause of his early season struggles?

It’s actually simple. Before the season, Sanó tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he was forced to sit out during team workouts for his health and other proper protocol procedures. Missing the early reps, Sanó was thrown into the season, and he seemed just a little off with his mechanics.

Much like a player trying to find his rhythm after an injury, that appeared to be what the slow start was about. Similar to the 2019 season (when Sanó missed the first 41 games that season due to a heel injury), it took some time for Sanó to find his groove. Once he did however, he became a key contributor to the Bomba Squad.

The slow start in 2020 is very much behind Sanó now, almost as much behind him as the time in 2018, when former manager Paul Molitor sent the All-Star to the Class A team in the minor leagues. Sanó was sent on a path where he would have to climb up the ranks and build his way back to the majors (while losing weight in the process). With Sanó in mid-season form now, it looks like he will have a strong finish to 2020 (as long as he stays healthy).