Minnesota Twins | The Golden Sombrero Baseball Blog | MLB, Fantasy, College & High School Baseball News

Top 50 Prospects: #25 – Miguel Sano

#25 Miguel Sano

Minnesota Twins

DOB: 5/11/1993

Previous Rank: N/R

ETA: 2014

Sano was the top international free agent in 2009, and he absolutely torched the Appalachian League in 2011 posting a .292/.352/.637 slash line with 20 jacks.  He was the consensus top player in the league and one of the top players in the low Minors nationwide.  Sano can go out to all fields but demonstrates a great deal of rawness at the plate and in the field.

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BA
2010 17 2 Teams 2 Lgs Rk-FRk MIN 61 241 212 34 16 1 7 29 4 3 .307
2010 17 Twins DOSL FRk MIN 20 80 64 11 2 1 3 10 2 1 .344
2010 17 Twins GULF Rk MIN 41 161 148 23 14 0 4 19 2 2 .291
2011 18 Elizabethton APPY Rk MIN 66 293 267 58 18 7 20 59 5 4 .292
2 Seasons 127 534 479 92 34 8 27 88 9 7 .299
Rk (2 seasons) Rk 107 454 415 81 32 7 24 78 7 6 .292
FRk (1 season) FRk 20 80 64 11 2 1 3 10 2 1 .344
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/16/2011.
Year Age Tm Lg Lev G PA AB HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB
2010 17 2 Teams 2 Lgs Rk-FRk 61 241 212 7 29 4 3 24 60 .307 .379 .491 .870 104
2010 17 Twins DOSL FRk 20 80 64 3 10 2 1 14 17 .344 .463 .547 1.009 35
2010 17 Twins GULF Rk 41 161 148 4 19 2 2 10 43 .291 .338 .466 .804 69
2011 18 Elizabethton APPY Rk 66 293 267 20 59 5 4 23 77 .292 .352 .637 .988 170
2 Seasons 127 534 479 27 88 9 7 47 137 .299 .364 .572 .936 274
Rk (2 seasons) Rk 107 454 415 24 78 7 6 33 120 .292 .347 .576 .922 239
FRk (1 season) FRk 20 80 64 3 10 2 1 14 17 .344 .463 .547 1.009 35
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/16/2011.

He gets down late and cannot hold back on breaking stuff out of the zone as a result, but that can be a quick fix for an athlete as strong and agile as Sano.  His arm has plenty of juice for any spot on the field, suggesting that he can stay at the hot corner.  Nevertheless, defense is way more than arm strength, and Sano is flat out rough in terms of footwork and glovework.

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G Ch PO A E DP Fld% RF/G
2010 17 2 Teams 2 Lgs Rk-FRk MIN 3B 36 102 25 60 17 3 .833 2.36
2010 17 2 Teams 2 Lgs Rk-FRk MIN SS 18 88 33 50 5 12 .943 4.61
2010 17 Twins DOSL FRk MIN SS 2 6 2 3 1 1 .833 2.50
2010 17 Twins DOSL FRk MIN 3B 15 48 14 27 7 1 .854 2.73
2010 17 Twins GULF Rk MIN SS 16 82 31 47 4 11 .951 4.88
2010 17 Twins GULF Rk MIN 3B 21 54 11 33 10 2 .815 2.10
2011 18 Elizabethton APPY Rk MIN 3B 48 158 35 108 15 9 .905 2.98
2011 18 Elizabethton APPY Rk MIN SS 16 67 17 39 11 6 .836 3.50
2011 18 Elizabethton APPY Rk MIN DH 4 0.00
2 Seasons 122 415 110 257 48 30 .884 3.01
SS (2 seasons) SS 34 155 50 89 16 18 .897 4.09
3B (2 seasons) 3B 84 260 60 168 32 12 .877 2.71
DH (1 season) DH 4 0.00
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/16/2011.

That said, with his bat and age on his side, Sano should be able to make a jump into the high Minors some time in 2012.  He has a long way to go, and is likely to lose a step as he matures, but if he can convince enough people that he belongs at third and develop some discipline in the box, he can be one of the game’s elite infielders.  Third base has been a revolving door in Minneapolis, but with Sano, the Twins firmly believe, as do many across the game, that those days may be behind the organization.


Golden Sombrero: Chris Parmelee

Top 1: Chris Parmelee struck out swinging against David Huff

Top 4: struck out swinging against Huff

Top 6: called out on strikes against David Huff

Top 7: struck out swinging against Zach Putnam

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Despite being selected by the Twins in the first-round of the 2006 draft, Parmelee didn’t have a breakout season until 2010 when he slashed .285/.356/.401 across three levels.  After posting an .801 OPS this season for Double-A New Britain, the left-handed hitting first baseman has made the most of his chances since making his big league debut on September 6: In 80 plate-appearances, Parmelee has posted an .968 OPS that includes a 13/10 K/BB rate.  That ratio became slightly skewed on Saturday, however, when he recorded the first golden sombrero of his career against the Tribe.  If he wants to be the Twins’ first baseman of the future, he will have to show 20+ home run power across a full season – something that he’s yet to do.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 123

Golden Sombrero: Alex Liddi

Top 3: Alex Liddi struck out swinging against Kevin Slowey

Top 6: struck out swinging against Slowey

Top 7: struck out swinging against Slowey

Top 9: called out on strikes against Scott Baker

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Really not too much to say about Liddi’s golden sombrero against Slowey and the Twins on Wednesday.  It’s the sort of thing that will happen when you are a free-swinging call-up…just ask Paul Goldschmidt.  For what it’s worth, the Italian-born third baseman has shown some pop: of his four hits in 24 at-bats, Liddi has doubled and jumped the yard twice.  This year at Triple-A, he dropped 30 bombs and drove in 104 runs while fanning 170 times (559 at-bats).

Total 2011 Sombreros: 121

Golden Sombrero: Rene Tosoni (again)

Bottom 2: Rene Tosoni struck out swinging against C.C. Sabathia

Bottom 4: Tosoni struck out on a foul tip against Sabathia

Bottom 6: Tosoni struck out swinging against Sabathia

Bottom 8: Tosoni struck out swinging against David Robertson

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Tosoni’s golden sombrero on Thursday was his second of the season.  The rookie is now slashing .191/.255/.298 and has fanned 25 times in 94 at-bats.  While he does have some pop in his bat, his playing time will decrease once Michael Cuddyer is healthy.

Final Line: 91

Golden Sombrero: Jim Thome

Top 2: Jim Thome struck out swinging against Mark Buehrle

Top 4: Thome called out on strikes against Buehrle

Top 6: Thome struck out swinging against Buehrle

Top 9: Thome struck out swinging against Jesse Crain

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: The novelty of a Jim Thome golden sombrero faded a long time ago, as the 40-year-old veteran is second on the all-time strikeout list with 2,431 – only 166 behind Reggie Jackson.  Thome’s also five home runs shy of joining the 600 HR club.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 68