Former Twins Slugger Returns to Winter League with MVP Hopes Still Alive

Although Minnesota is currently covered in snow, Winter League action in the Caribbean continues to offer players a chance to get valuable offseason reps. Near-ready Minnesota Twins prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez put on a show in the Dominican Republic before shutting things down for the winter.

Miguel Sano hasn’t worn a Minnesota Twins uniform in years, and he skipped Major League Baseball entirely last season, but he’s still doing his thing this winter.

Miguel Sano returns with eye-popping numbers

Sano last played for the Minnesota Twins during the 2022 season. He was out of affiliated baseball in 2023 before resurfacing with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024. Once again out of affiliated ball this past season, the 32-year-old is putting up MVP-level numbers in Winter League play, and he’s back in action this week.

Miguel Sano estaría regresando a la alineación de Estrellas Orientales el martes vs Toros del Este ⭐️🦍

Sano no juega desde el 5 de noviembre y dejó una línea de 353 Avg, 1,237 OPS con 7 HR y 19 RBI 🔥si regresa como estaba hay que contarle los votos para MVP 💪🏿 pic.twitter.com/TcijQUvbWS

— Juanfrank Kranwinkel (@juanfrank24) November 30, 2025

Miguel Sano would be returning to the Estrellas Orientales lineup on Tuesday vs Toros del Este. Sano hasn’t played since November 5 and left a line of 353 Avg, 1,237 OPS with 7 HR and 19 RBI if he returns like he was we gotta count the votes for him for MVP.

Juanfrank Kranwinkel

As Kranwinkel notes, it has been nearly a month since Sano last played for Estrellas. They sit at 14-18, third in the Dominican Winter League standings. The regular season runs through December 23, giving Sano plenty of time to continue contributing.

Last winter, Sano collected just 18 hits in 19 games across 68 at-bats. This season, he has already matched that hit total in only 15 games and 51 at-bats. The power jump is clear, and perhaps most notably, he has an impressive 11/7 K/BB ratio.

Sano’s 1.237 OPS leads all hitters across the Dominican Winter League. His .353 batting average ranks sixth, and his seven home runs are two more than the second-place Aderlin Rodriguez.

Former Twins legend Miguel Sano is alive and well still dropping bombs. pic.twitter.com/MhtDCqIIuX

— Ted (@tlschwerz) October 18, 2025

The former Twins top prospect is far from a sure-thing major league contributor at this point, and he’s never been a strong defender at first base. However, it’s still surprising that he hasn’t landed a minor-league deal with a Spring Training invite, should he want one.

Right now, the biggest offensive hole for Derek Shelton’s squad is at first base, and the team could use a right-handed slugger. Sano isn’t going to get that opportunity in Minnesota, but the buy-low appeal certainly fits their historical tendencies.