Miguel Sanó at one point this season was virtually unplayable for the Minnesota Twins and was in-and-out of the lineup for some time. Those days are over because the first baseman has turned things around and has become a productive player.

Let’s face it, Sanó can be one of the most frustrating players on the roster. He’s one of the most talented players in the clubhouse, yet he can play like one of the worst at times. For a long time, the Dominican Republic native has been a highly touted player.

He has some of the most unprecedented power in the MLB, and his arm strength is like no other. This season he’s currently batting .221, with 28 home runs and 69 RBIs.

Moving him to first base has been a wise decision. His fielding percentage has increased, but so have the errors (13). With more chances at first, we were going to see an increase in his error count. This season Sanó has had 852 chances at first, whereas in 2019, his career-high was 230 at third base.

Sanó has made some questionable decisions at first, resulting in -1.1 defensive wins above replacement. It should be mentioned that most of the best first basemen in the game have a negative DWAR. He may never win a gold glove at his position, but he hasn’t been awful.

Offensively, Sanó has turned things around for the better since the All-Star Break.

• Pre All-Star: 230 AB, .196/.279/.426, 15 HR, 35 RBI, 26 BB, 95 SO
• Post All-Star: 186 AB, .253/.344/.527, 13 HR, 34 RBI, 26 BB, 69 SO

Sanó has completely flipped the script on his batting splits. His batting average and on-base percentage were awful before the All-Star Break. A lot of that has to do with his approach to the plate. It’s evident that he walks up to the batter’s box with one thing in mind, and that’s to swing for the fences.

That can get him in trouble because it usually results in a strikeout. Last season he had strikeout percentage of 43.9, and has since lowered that number to 34.7 this year. Sanó has so much raw power that he just needs to make contact with the ball, and it’s going to go a long way.

I mean this 495-foot home run is a perfect representation of what he can do if he gets ahold of one.

Sanó can singlehandedly win the Twins ballgames, which is a skill that only a select amount of players have. On May 18 against the Chicago White Sox, he crushed three home runs and accounted for four of the Twins’ five RBIs. Minnesota was down 4-0, but he hit three straight home runs and tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.

In 14 games this month, Sanó has already crushed five home runs. His batting average in September has started to dip, but you’ll take what he’s been given you.

The narrative that Sanó has been bad all season is just not true. He had an awful start to the year but has played at a much higher level since the All-Star Break.