There might be a new Miranda gracing marquees across the country. This one, though, uses a bat rather than a pen.
Jose Miranda, the No. 3 prospect in the Twins farm system, made his major league debut Monday night.
On Tuesday, he got his first hit and first RBI.
Jose Miranda checking boxes!
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) May 4, 2022
first hit in the big leagues ✅
first RBI at the MLB level ✅
giving the Twins the lead ✅ pic.twitter.com/yHk908LIiT
How is Jose Miranda related to Lin-Manuel Miranda?
If the last name sounds familiar, that's because it is: Miranda is the cousin of famed playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. You're probably familiar with him: Lin-Manuel is the brains — and former lead voice — behind "Hamilton", the Broadway mega-hit that earned 11 Tony Awards in addition to nearly-universal acclaim.
I got a cousin in the Major Leagues! Felicidades Primo! All the Mirandas are cheering! -LMM https://t.co/jCs29QpFNH
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 3, 2022
The younger Miranda isn't quite the star his older cousin is... yet. Still, Miranda earned plenty of plaudits for his displays at minor league level. Minnesota's second-round pick in 2016, Miranda laid siege to pitching in the Double-A and Triple-A level last season. He smacked 30 home runs and hit .344 in 591 plate appearances across the two levels in 2021, rising up to No. 5 in the Twins' prospect rankings, according to Baseball America.
The Twins reckon they have a diamond in Miranda. He brings an intriguing blend of power and contact with the stick. And although he struggled with chasing for pitches early in his career, he flashed a more selective approach at the plate last season — he posted a .401 on-base percentage.
“He’s ready," Toby Gardenhire, who managed Miranda in Triple-A, said. “He’s gotten a lot more athletic the last couple of years. He’s kind of grown into himself. He’s still really young. I think sometimes it just takes guys a little bit longer to mature with their bodies and stuff. He’s really athletic. … He’s become a really mature hitter.”
Jose Miranda's stats
Miranda got off to a slow start in 2022. But he seemed to thaw out of it over the past month of so, batting .300/.351/.520 in his last 57 plate appearances in Triple-A.
“The fantastic year last year was impossible to miss,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s been doing a good job.
He’s been getting hot as the weather has somewhat maybe warmed up in St. Paul. He’s had really good at-bats... I think he’ll be able to give us everything we need right now.
It will take a lot for Miranda to reach the heights of his world-renowned cousin. Admittedly, Jose Miranda hasn't actually seen his cousin's magna opus, according to MLB.com's Joe Trezza. However, perhaps that could change in a few months — Minnesota is set to travel to Gotham to take on the Yankees in early-September.
Regardless, the youngster appears to be doing enough to figure in Baldelli's plans in the present. I'm pretty sure that's plenty good enough for the younger Miranda.
“I’m trying to stay calm, let the game come to me and play hard,” Miranda said. “The team is playing really well right now, so it’s a good moment to be here.”
