A slight adjustment has helped unlock Jose Miranda's swing

Miranda is having better success against high fast balls and pitches 95+ mph.

Jun 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda (64) hits an RBI single against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Jose Miranda has been the talk of baseball coming off his record-tying 12 hits in 12 consecutive at-bats last week against the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros.

The Twins infielder has bounced back after a difficult 2023 season and has been instrumental in Minnesota being one of the best offenses over the past few months.

Miranda spent time with both the Twins and Triple-A St. Paul Saints before having his season cut short in July due to a shoulder injury. In 2023, Miranda struggled at the plate with a .211 average, a fall off from his .268 average during his rookie campaign. Now in 2024, Miranda is blistering hot at the plate, slashing .332/.373/.534 with nine homers and driving in 43 runs.

MLB Network’s Mark DeRosa credits Miranda’s exceptional season to a slight adjustment in the 26-year-old’s swing. In a recent feature diving into Miranda’s success, DeRosa noted the Twins infielder has stopped dropping his hands while loading up his swing.

In previous seasons, Miranda would drop his hands below his shoulders while loading up his swings. This season, he is keeping his hand steady and near his head throughout his at-bats. DeRosa pointed out the adjustment has allowed Miranda to better attack pitches high in the zone.

While Miranda’s baseline numbers have shown an improvement over last season, it’s the deeper numbers that have made an even bigger jump.

Miranda vs. 4-seam fastball/sinker thrown 2.75-feet or higher

• 2022 — .203 BA, .468 SLG, 25.3 Whiff rate
• 2023 — .094 BA, .219 SLG, 37.3 Whiff rate
• 2024 — .268 BA, .610 SLG, 20.0 Whiff rate

His .094 average against high heat was the 10th lowest in the majors last season. Meanwhile, his .610 slugging percentage against similar pitches is the 13th highest in the league this season. Speaking of dealing with heat, Miranda’s numbers against pitches over 95 mph have also significantly improved.

Miranda vs. 95-mph+

• 2022 — 14-64, .215 BA, .231 SLG
• 2023 — 1-20, .050 BA, .100 SLG
• 2024 — 14-48, .292 BA, .542 SLG

“His hands are staying tight to his head,” DeRosa said in the video feature. “I almost feel like he has taken his hands out of the equation, from a mindset point of view. He is just letting his lower half kind of load his hands, and they’re just staying tight to his body.”

It’s also not just the velocity that Miranda is handling well this season. His .363 average against non-fastballs is the best in the entire majors, while his .545 slugging percentage is seventh best. Miranda’s new swing has helped him in pressure situations. He currently is tied with former Twin Luis Arraez for the third-best average with runners in scoring position at .381.