Minnesota Twins

Twins 3B Miguel Sano predicted he'd turn a triple play – and then actually did

Published Jun. 2, 2017 5:48 p.m. ET

Chris Bahr

Everything that could go wrong for the Twins did go wrong last season, when they led the majors with 103 losses. But this season is an entirely different story.

Minnesota is getting all the breaks and bounces it missed out on last season, as this triple play from Thursday’s come-from-behind, 4-2 win over the Angels proves:

https://twitter.com/Twins/status/870490468999725056

Yes, that was Miguel Sano – who leads the team with 13 homers, 40 RBI, a .297 batting average, a .411 on-base percentage and a .606 slugging percentage – getting it all started defensively at the hot corner. And according to MLB.com, Sano actually predicted before the game that he would turn a triple play.

"I kept thinking about it and saying it," Sano said through translator Carlos Font. "I came in early today and practiced fielding ground balls down the line and touching the bag and throwing it to second. Once the situation came, I kept saying, 'Mejia, give me the right pitch.' And he did it."

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Just how improved are the Twins? They are 27-23 and tied atop the AL Central with the defending AL pennant-winning Indians. Last season, the Twins didn’t win their 27th game until July 3 and finished 35.5 games behind Cleveland.

Thursday was the start of a 10-game West Coast road trip for Minnesota, but that isn’t a huge concern considering it is 15-5 away from Target Field.

What a difference a year can make. And we can't can't wait for Sano's next prediction.