In the Minnesota Twins’ white uniform, Sandy León has a distinctly Lasordian look. He’s a little more athletic, but there is no denying Leon’s squat nature. Even if Sandy’s weighing in at his listed 235 pounds (highly, highly, unlikely), he’s 5’10” with a distinct catchers body so congestion in the glutes and midsection is expected. It isn’t a criticism of the man.
In fact, it’s reason No. 442 that baseball is the best! Sandy’s may have a body by Juicy Lucy but he is a professional athlete. In baseball, professional athletes can look any kind of way, with any kind of body morphology and be successful.
Hell, the best second basemen in the league has to wear platform shoes to enjoy theme park rides and the leading candidate for the MVP is a Colossus with a strike zone the size of a kayak. There’s no ideal body for playing baseball.
León’s and his, ahem, largesse, have been a humongous asset. Since coming over in a trade from the Guardians, he’s made an immediate impact on the Twins at a position that had become a major weakness recently. No disrespect to Gary Sanchez, but he is not everyday catcher. If he isn’t hitting bombs, his defense, while improved, isn’t a carrying trait. Ideally, Sandy León may even help Sanchez find his power again.
Sandy León is a huge asset for the Minnesota Twins and fits in well here.
In addition to taking the load off Sanchez, León is an excellent defensive catcher. In the short time Sandy’s been with the team, he’s quickly gelled with the pitching staff. If you exclude Joe Ryan’s continued California woes and the ten total the Dodgers put up, the pitching staff has surrendered 4 runs or fewer in all Sandy’s starts. More importantly, the Twins are 6-2 in those games. Pitchers love him:
Sonny Gray said "it was fun throwing to Sandy León" for the first time, so I asked him what makes León a catcher so many pitchers rave about.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) August 17, 2022
"He's got a good brain." pic.twitter.com/DJ8Jmcwslj
All fans expects players to produce, and it is no different In Minnesota, but quality of character is clearly prioritized within the organization. Sandy is doing it on the field and before Tuesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, Marney Gellner interviewed the Twins catcher and we got to hear a little more from the person, rather than player.
León came across as incredibly earnest and authentically good. Sitting in the dugout, looking yoked with his top tier beard and tattoos, León talked about his adjustment to the team. The most fascinating segment was León’s frank discussion about the hardship felt on his wife and family from the trade.
As his move is largely taken care of by the Minnesota Twins organization, it is his wife who is responsible for the real-world realities; packing and unpacking while managing their children from Cleveland to Minnesota. It was an honest a down to earth answer, one I’ve not heard many players discuss.
Sandy León is just one of those guys I guess. Everyone knows someone like him. A guy who nobody says negative things about. Good at their job and taking care of their families. Even having the audacity to be nice, down to earth, and athletic.
When it seems like night because there is so much shade being thrown, the gossip at a fever pitch, not one person has a damn thing to say about that person. They are too nice. Well, that seems to be Sandy León. He’s everyone’s chubby best friend.