A trip to the minor league complex during spring training is always rewarding, and one recent trip was no different.
As I posted on twitter earlier)r this week (if you aren't following me, what are you waiting for? @LaVelleNeal), I got a chance to watch Miguel Sano, the top prospect in the organiization. in an intrasquad game. His five at-bats:
Strikeout swinging
Triple down the right field line
Strikeout swinging
Triple to right-center
Home run to left
The homer left the park in like three seconds. I never saw it, just saw the outfielders give up on it. Back in the dugout, one player - I think A. J. Pettersen - hovered over Sano as he sat on the bench. "You gotta hit the ball harder than that," he said playfully.
Sano ended last season at 225 pounds and has weighed in at 244 this year. He stands out among his lesser-developed teammates. He's not fat, but I wonder when will he stop filling out, and if he can play third base at 260 pounds? But he's got power. he's agile and he has an arm. The Twins hope he can remain a third baseman. That means he must improve his defense. I was told he made several errors last season attempting plays he shouldn't, leading to some crazy throws, etc.
Eddie Rosario, who out-homered Sano 21-20 in the short-season Appy League, is busy learning second base. Footwork has been the focus, coaches have said, as he sometimes gets mixed up while turning the double play. Paul Molitor has been working with him on his pivot. Rosario has welcomed the change of position and said he thinks players should be versatile.
As they move up the system, it will be interesting to see how they adjust to better breaking balls. These two love to hack and will have to learn to be a little more selective, too, but they both have the skills. Crazy skills.
Levi Michael is a very polite young man. And I can't believe how banged up he was last year at UNC, where he was limited by injuries to his groin, hip and ankle. Curious to see how he does this season after spending the season working out in Florida. At first, the Twins planned to start Michael at Class A Beloit with Sano and Rosario (how far is Cedar Rapids from the Twin Cities? I smell a road trip when the Snappers visit.). Heard earlier this week that there's now a chance that Michael will start the season at High-A Fort Myers, with fifth round pick Tyler Grimes starting at Beloit.
