Miguel Sanó
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Miguel Ángel Jean Sanó (born May 11, 1993) is a Dominican
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
and
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
who is a free agent. He previously played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the Minnesota Twins. He made his MLB debut on July 2, 2015, and was an All-Star in 2017. Sanó has played for most of his career as a third baseman, but played more first base in 2018 and 2019, and with the Twins signing of
Josh Donaldson Joshua Adam Donaldson (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atla ...
prior to the 2020 season, was the Twins' primary first baseman.


Early life

Miguel Sanó was born in
San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís is a city and municipality (''municipio'') in the Dominican Republic and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the east region of the country; it is among the 10 largest cities of the Dominican Republic. The ...
,
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
, to a poor Haitian family.Cypher, Luke
Haitian Sensations: Behind the rise of the Haitian-Dominican player
''
ESPN The Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year ...
''. Published March 10, 2009 By Luke Cyphers , ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
He chose to play baseball with the name Sanó, his mother’s family name, rather than his father's, which is Jean, out of respect to the Dominican Republic. He was discovered at a young age, and worked with scouts to develop his talent. In early 2009,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
conducted an age investigation, a prerequisite for every player signed in Latin America, that confirmed Sanó’s identity but could not verify his exact age.Segura, Melissa
Twins sign top Dominican prospect Miguel Angel Sanó
''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
''. Published September 29, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
Sanó claimed to be 16 years old, but there had been rumors in the Dominican Republic that he was older. Twins then-general manager Bill Smith said, "Sanó’s age and identity have probably been scrutinized more than any player in the history of the Dominican Republic," and the issues and difficulties involved caused Sanó to lower his asking price from the $5–6 million bonus he was seeking when the international signing period first opened.Miguel Angel Sanó lowers asking price
, NBC Sports. Published September 29, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were the first team to offer Sanó a deal and appeared to be his most ardent suitor, but negotiations were at a standstill after agent Rob Plummer rejected a $2.6 million offer from the team and their Director of Latin American Scouting, Rene Gayo. Sanó elected to sign with the Twins over many other teams. Besides the Pirates, the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
also expressed interest in Sanó and even had him come to their academy in the Dominican Republic for a workout session.Sims, Damon
Cleveland Indians have Miguel Angel Sanó, a 16-year-old Dominican high on their signing-priority list
''
The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...
''. Published June 13, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
The
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
pursued Sanó for a short time, but believed his value was well below his $3 million price tag. Other interested teams included the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
and the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
. On September 29, 2009, Sanó said he would sign a
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
contract with the Minnesota Twins, which included a $3.15 million signing bonus.Christensen, Joe
Dominican prospect accepts $3.15M deal with Twins
'' Star Tribune''. Published September 29, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
Arangure Jr., Jorge
Minnesota Twins to sign Dominican Miguel Angel Sanó for $3.15M bonus
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
. Published September 29, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
Zrebiec, Jeff
Bullpen makeover on the way for O's
'' Baltimore Sun''. Published September 30, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
The bonus was the largest for a Latin American player from outside of
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
in 2009, and the second highest bonus ever for a Dominican amateur, second only to the $4.25 million the Oakland Athletics paid right-handed pitcher
Michael Ynoa Michael Jose Ynoa Ventura ( Michel; born September 24, 1991) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. Career Oakland Athletics Ynoa signed with t ...
in 2008. It was also the highest international signing bonus in Twins history, more than the Twins spent on 70 international prospects from 2006-2008 combined. Sanó’s deal surpassed the $3 million the Yankees gave catcher Gary Sánchez. The contract was contingent upon Sanó receiving a
visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...
from the United States, and on October 20, 2009, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'' reported that Sanó was issued a work visa by the United States, clearing him to play professional baseball;Segura, Melissa
Vaunted Twins signee Sanó receives work visa
''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
''. Published October 20, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
this was confirmed by the Twins on December 5.Rojas, Enrique
Sanó’s work visa completes Twins deal
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
. Published December 5, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
Sanó is one of the subjects of the 2012 documentary '' Ballplayer: Pelotero''. Passan, Jeff
Story of Miguel Sanó chronicles ugly, sleazy side of baseball's Dominican Republic talent pipeline
Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. B ...
. Published July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
The film follows Sanó through his controversial signing period in 2009. The film is directed by Jonathan Paley, Ross Finkel, and Trevor Martin, narrated by
John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
, and produced by
Bobby Valentine Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), nicknamed "Bobby V", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He also served as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1 ...
. It premiered at the
Hamptons International Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October ...
in 2011 and had a theatrical release in theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis in July 2012. The film was screened from July 13–19 in Minneapolis by the Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul in the St. Anthony Main Theater.


Professional career


Minor Leagues

Before the 2011 season Baseball America rated Sanó the third-best prospect in the Twins' minor league system. Sanó spent 2011 playing third base and shortstop for the Elizabethton Twins, the Twins affiliate in the Appalachian League, hitting .292 with 20 HR and 59 RBI. After the 2011 season Baseball America rated him the top prospect in the Appalachian League, the 18th-best prospect in all of baseball, and (agreeing with Baseball Prospectus) the top Twins prospect. Sanó spent 2012 with the Class-A Beloit Snappers of the
Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. He transitioned fully to third base, and general manager Terry Ryan said the team hoped to move Sanó closer to the major leagues soon. Still, his developing defense and propensity for striking out had the Twins making sure not to rush his path through the minors. Sanó hit .258 with a .373 OBP, and led the Midwest League with 28 HR and 100 RBI. After the 2012 season, Baseball America rated Sanó the second-best prospect in the Midwest League and the top Twins prospect, and Baseball Prospectus rated him the second-best Twins prospect.
MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
rated him the 12th-best prospect in the game, as well as the top third-base prospect. On June 9, 2013, Sanó and
Eddie Rosario Eddie Manuel Rosario, Jr. (born September 28, 1991) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball left fielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Rosario was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draf ...
were promoted to the
New Britain Rock Cats The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado Rockies for one. They played ...
of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League. He compiled 35 home runs, 103 RBI, and a .280 batting average. At the end of the 2013 season,
MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
ranked him the third-best prospect in the league, and second in the Twins organization, behind only
Byron Buxton Byron Keiron Buxton (born December 18, 1993) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the second highest-rated prospect in baseball according to MLB.com and Baseball Prosp ...
. The Twins invited Sanó to spring training in 2014. During spring training he tore his
ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...
and required Tommy John surgery. He missed the 2014 season in recovery. Sanó began the 2015 season with the
Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
of the Class AA Southern League, and batted .274 with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs through the end of June.


Minnesota Twins


2015–2016

The Minnesota Twins promoted Sanó to the major leagues. He recorded a hit in his major league debut on July 2, 2015. Sanó played primarily as a
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
. He won the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
(AL) Rookie of the Month Award for August 2015, and hit 18 home runs in 80 games for the Twins for the season. He finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year Award balloting. After the 2016 season Sanó began working to become a
right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
. After being blocked from his usual position of third base and with
Joe Mauer Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman, who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. A six-time All-Star, Mauer is the only c ...
entrenched at first base, Sanó began the 2016 season as the Twins' right fielder. He was placed on the disabled list on June 1 with a strained hamstring and brought back about a month later. He finished the season at third base after
Trevor Plouffe Trevor Patrick Plouffe ( ; born June 15, 1986) is an American media personality and former professional baseball third baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and ...
was injured, and ended his season with 25 home runs and 66 RBI despite striking out 178 times in 437 at-bats.


2017

On April 3, 2017, Sanó hit a solo homer, drew a bases-loaded walk, and scored two runs in the Opening Day game against the Kansas City Royals. On April 22 he took exception after Matthew Boyd threw a pitch behind him. Sanó was ejected after shoving James McCann, which also sparked a benches-clearing incident. On June 29 Sanó finished runner-up to
Aaron Judge Aaron James Judge (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Judge was unanimously selected as the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017, and finishe ...
in the Home Run Derby. In 114 games of 2017, Sanó finished with a .264 batting average, 28 home runs, and 78 RBI.


2018

Sanó missed most of May 2018 due to a hamstring problem. In his first 37 games, he compiled a .203 batting average, seven home runs, and 27 RBI. On June 14 he was demoted to Class-A Advanced
Fort Myers Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
. On July 20 he was promoted to Class AAA Rochester Red Wings On July 27 he rejoined the Twins after Eduardo Escobar was traded to the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
. By the end of the season, Sanó hit .199 with 13 home runs and 41 RBI.


2019

In March 2019, Sanó underwent surgery on his Achilles. He returned to the lineup in May 2019. In 2019 he batted .247/.346/.576 with 34 home runs and 79 RBIs. He led the major leagues in percentage of hard-hit balls, at 57.2%.


2020

In 2020, Sanó hit .204/.278/.478 with 13 home runs and 25 RBIs during the shortened 60-game season, leading the majors with 90 strikeouts in 186 at-bats.


2021

In 2021, Sanó batted .223/.312/.466 with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs in 135 games. He struck out in 37.2% of his at bats against right-handers, tops in the major leagues.


2022

In 2022, Sanó batted .083 with 1 home run and 3 RBIs in 60 at bats. On November 7, 2022, the Twins declined the option on his 2023 season, making him a free agent.


Personal life

Sanó and his wife, Daniela, had a daughter named Angelica in 2014. She died of a heart defect one week after she was born. In 2016, they had a son named Dylan Miguel. On December 29, 2017, a Twin Cities photographer accused Sanó of sexually assaulting her in 2015 after an autograph session. Sanó denied the allegation. MLB investigated the claim and chose not to suspend him.


References


External links


Miguel Sanó
at MiLB.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sano, Miguel Angel 1993 births Living people Age controversies American League All-Stars Beloit Snappers players Chattanooga Lookouts players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Republic people of Cocolo descent Dominican Republic people of Haitian descent Dominican Summer League Twins players Elizabethton Twins players Estrellas Orientales players Fort Myers Miracle players Gulf Coast Twins players Major League Baseball designated hitters Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball right fielders Major League Baseball third basemen Minnesota Twins players New Britain Rock Cats players Sportspeople from San Pedro de Macorís