5 reasons the Minnesota Twins will win the wild card

Miguel Sano is the MLB’s next great power hitter

On June 20, 2003, a 20-year-old slugger named Miguel Cabrera made his MLB debut for the Florida Marlins. A few months later, Cabrera hit four postseason home runs as the Marlins went on to win the World Series.

Over the course of the next decade, he established himself as arguably the most feared hitter in baseball.

With 10 All-Star Game appearances, back-to-back MVP awards and the first triple-crown in the MLB in 45 years to his credit, Cabrera has set the benchmark for the next wave of great power hitters.

Twins rookie Miguel Sano has been a monster at the plate during his first two months in the big leagues, but is he the next Miguel Cabrera?

If you ask his teammates, he just might be.

"“Miggy (Miguel Sano) is strong, man,” Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar told the Pioneer Press. “Good approach at the plate, good discipline. He looks like a veteran guy, not a rookie. For me, Miggy is the next Miguel Cabrera in this league.”"

The comparisons begin with Sano’s 6-foot-4, 260 pound frame. At 22, he is already bigger than Cabrera.

But the real reason for being mentioned in the same breath as one of the best players in baseball has strictly to do with his performance at the plate.

Sano has hit 14 home runs in 50 career MLB games. For reference, his average of one home run every 3.57 games would put him on pace for a 45-home run season. His batting average has not suffered, either, hitting .287 on the season.

While Sano will need a few more seasons like this to be worthy of Miguel Cabrera comparisons, he is already a difference maker that is quickly becoming the star of the Twins lineup.

Without him on the roster, this team would be nowhere near the playoffs. With him, they are on the verge of becoming a legitimate contender.

Next: They are getting hot at the right time