Miguel Ángel Jean Sanó (born May 11, 1993) is a Dominican professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

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

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who is a free agent. He has previously played in

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for the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

. He made his MLB debut in 2015, and was an

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in 2017. He is currently playing winter baseball for the

Estrellas Orientales Estrellas Orientales (English: Eastern Stars), also known as Estrellas de Oriente, is a baseball team in the Dominican Winter League. Based in San Pedro de Macorís, the team has historically struggled, winning championships only in 1936, 1954, ...

of the

Dominican Professional Baseball League The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League ( or LIDOM) is a professional baseball winter league consisting of six teams spread across the Dominican Republic; it is the highest level of professional baseball played in the Dominican Repub ...

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. The capital of its eponymous province in the east region of the country, it is among the ten largest cities of the Dominican Republic. The city has approx ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

, 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, with the cover line "NEXT.," was published on March 11, 1998 (cover date March 23, 1998), and featured K ...

''. 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 league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

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 a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

''. 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
,

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. Published September 29, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009. The

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

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, proferred on their behalf by their Director of Latin American Scouting, Rene Gayo. 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

also expressed interest, and 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; it is a major national newspaper. In the fall of 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily an ...

''. Published June 13, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009. The

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) 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 America ...

pursued Sanó for a short time, but believed his value was well below his $3 million price tag. Other interested teams included the

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and the

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. On September 29, 2009, Sanó said he would sign a

contract with the

, which included a $3.15 million

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

.Christensen, Joe
Dominican prospect accepts $3.15M deal with Twins
''

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''. Published September 29, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009.Arangure Jr., Jorge
Minnesota Twins to sign Dominican Miguel Angel Sanó for $3.15M bonus

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. Published September 29, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009. The bonus was the largest for a Latin American player from outside of

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in 2009, and the second highest bonus ever for a Dominican amateur, second only to the $4.25 million the

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paid right-handed pitcher Michael Ynoa in 2008. It was also the highest international signing bonus in Twins history, more than the Twins spent on 70 international prospects from 2006 to 2008 combined. Sanó's deal surpassed the $3 million the Yankees gave catcher

Gary Sánchez Gary Sánchez Herrera (born December 2, 1992) is a Dominican professional baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, San D ...

. The contract was contingent upon Sanó receiving a

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from the United States. On October 20, 2009, ''

'' reported that Sanó had been issued a work visa by the United States, clearing him to play professional baseball;Segura, Melissa
Vaunted Twins signee Sanó receives work visa
''

''. 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

. 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

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. 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, 1960 or 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in more than 100 films, produced more than 20 films and documentaries, made more than 30 televisio ...

, and produced by

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. It premiered at the

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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, ''

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'' 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 Elizabethton Twins were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They were located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and were named for their Major League Baseball, major league aff ...

, the Twins affiliate in the

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...

, 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

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) the top Twins prospect. Sanó spent 2012 with the Class-A

Beloit Snappers The Beloit Sky Carp are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and play their home games at ABC Supply Stadium. They previously played at Harry C ...

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 ...

, transitioning fully to third base. Meanwhile, general manager Terry Ryan said that the team hoped to move Sanó closer to the major leagues quickly. 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.

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rated him the 12th-best prospect in the game, as well as the top third-base prospect. Sanó began the 2013 season with the

Fort Myers Miracle The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Fort Myers, Florida, and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex at ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

. On June 9, 2013, Sanó and Eddie Rosario 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 (1938–2020), 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 ...

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 B ...

Eastern League. Sanó compiled 35 home runs, 103 RBI, and a .280 batting average. At the end of the 2013 season,

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 and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Buxton was considered by some baseball analysts to be the most talent ...

. The Twins invited Sanó to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

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 Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

. 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 based 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

Sanó made his major league debut on July 2, 2015, and went 1-for-4. He had his first RBI on July 3. His first home run came on July 7 against Kevin Gausman. He was named AL Rookie of the Month for August 2015. Sanó finished third in the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner

Carlos Correa Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. (born September 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros, who selected him f ...

and runner-up

Francisco Lindor Francisco Miguel Lindor Serrano (born November 14, 1993), nicknamed "Mr. Smile", is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians. ...

. The Twins moved Sanó to right field before the 2016 season, after signing Byung Ho Park to be the designated hitter and retaining incumbent third baseman

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 ...

. A hamstring strain sent Sanó to the injured list on June 1. The Twins moved Sanó back to his natural position of third base when he returned to the team a month later. He finished the 2016 season batting .236 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI over 116 games. On

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

in 2017, Sanó homered and drew a bases loaded walk on Opening Day against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

, helping the Twins snap an eight game Opening Day losing streak. He was named an

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

in 2017, and finished as the runner-up to

Aaron Judge Aaron James Judge (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP ...

in the Home Run Derby. During the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...

, Sanó had an RBI single against Alex Wood. He finished the 2017 season with 28 home runs and 77 RBI. The Twins made the postseason for the first time since 2010, but Sanó was left off the playoff roster with a shin injury. After a slow start to the 2018 season, Sanó was demoted to Fort Myers on June 14. He was batting just .203 with a .270 on-base percentage at the time of his demotion. He rejoined the Twins on July 28 after

Eduardo Escobar Eduardo José Escobar (born January 5, 1989) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbac ...

was traded to the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

. Sanó finished the season batting .199 with 13 home runs and 41 RBI in 71 games. Sanó began the 2019 season on the injured list after having surgery on his Achilles during spring training. He made his season debut against the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

on May 16, hitting two doubles and driving in a run. Sanó launched a pinch hit walk-off home run against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

on August 5. He finished the 2019 season with a career high 34 home runs, and the Twins won their first AL Central title since 2010. Sanó hit his first career postseason home run in game one of the 2019 ALDS. Sanó signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Twins on January 14, 2020. The contract included a team option for the 2023 season. The Twins moved Sanó to first base after signing free agent third baseman

Josh Donaldson Joshua Adam Donaldson (born December 8, 1985) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. In his 13-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves ...

in the offseason. Sanó hit .204 with 13 home runs and 25 RBI during the COVID shortened 2020 season. He led the league with 90 strikeouts in 186 at-bats. Sanó batted .223 with 30 home runs and 75 RBI during the 2021 season. This made him the ninth player in Twins history to have multiple 30 home run seasons with the club. A sacrifice fly from Sanó provided the game’s only RBI during a 1-0 win over the

on April 21. He delivered a walk-off single against the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

on April 26. Sanó was placed on the injured list with a torn meniscus in his left knee on May 3. He briefly returned on July 25, but was placed on the injured list again less than a week later. Sanó played in just 20 games during the 2022 season, batting .083 with one home run. The Twins declined Sanó’s contract option for the 2023 season on November 7, making him a free agent. On February 7, 2023, Sanó hosted a free agent workout for interested teams. However, he did not find a contract, and instead returned to the Dominican Republic, saying he would play winter ball.

Los Angeles Angels

On January 23, 2024, Sanó signed a minor league contract with the

. On March 26, it was announced that Sanó had made the Angels' Opening Day roster. In 28 games for the Angels, he batted .205/.295/.313 with two home runs and six RBI. On July 8, Sanó was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by Los Angeles. He was released by the Angels organization on July 13.

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. On February 12, 2023, Sano's biological father, Ricardo Aponte, allegedly killed his own girlfriend, Yajaira Henderson, in

, in an incident captured by a surveillance camera.

References

External links

Miguel Sanó
at MiLB.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sano, Miguel Angel 1993 births Living people Age controversies in sports American League All-Stars Arizona Complex League Angels players Baseball players from San Pedro de Macorís 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 Florida Complex League Twins players Fort Myers Miracle players Gulf Coast Twins players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball designated hitters Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Major League Baseball right fielders Major League Baseball third basemen Minnesota Twins players New Britain Rock Cats players Salt Lake Bees players