Ups, downs part of learning process for Sano

MINNEAPOLIS — The chatter surrounding Miguel Sano during his first full season in the Major Leagues has been endless.

From the defensive adventures in right field at the start of the season to recent suggestions of a possible demotion to Triple-A Rochester due to perceived attitude problems, Sano, the former No. 7 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has been the subject of plenty of scrutiny during his time in a Twins uniform.

And now, with last Thursday’s doubleheader nightcap against the Astros marking Sano’s 162nd game in the Major Leagues — the equivalent of a full season — there’s a chance to step back and examine his body of work with a better sample size.

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It’s not a perfect evaluation because of the long offseason in the middle and because very few players play 162 games over the course of a season, but manager Paul Molitor believes that the numbers so far are indicative of Sano’s high potential.

“I think a lot of people would really be pleased with the numbers after 162 games,” said Molitor. “I think a lot of attention goes to the strikeouts and the ratios and some of those things, but you look at production, it’s high end and the on-base percentage is very respectable. I think he’s got really high goals for himself.”

Through the equivalent of his first full season in the Major Leagues, Sano recorded a .260/.363/.508 slash line with 37 home runs and 101 RBIs and 96 walks. The batting average is respectable for a slugger of his caliber, and the .363 on-base percentage would have been tied for 11th in baseball in 2015, ahead of players like David Ortiz, Manny Machado and Jose Altuve.

Sano ranks first in Twins history in homers and walks in the first 162 games of a career, and he’s third in RBIs and OPS.

“It gives you a little bit of a glimpse of the upside, of things that he can do,” Molitor said. “There’s a lot to like, the …

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