Jose Miranda works on getting in shape to launch a 2023 season with more staying power

Jose Miranda can detail his exact weekly regimen, the elite team he assembled to guide him and all the work he did this offseason to help upgrade his game.

But Carlos Correa can put it much more succinctly.

"He looks sexy. You see that body?" Correa said Saturday from TwinsFest. "… He looks really good. He looks in shape. He looks ready to work."

No, Miranda wasn't going around Target Field showing off any washboard abs to the hordes of fans amid single-digit temperatures. But clearly his teammates could still appreciate his streamlined appearance, even under a baggy Twins jersey.

After an incredible 2021 in the minor leagues — where he ascended from Class AA to AAA and hit .344 with 30 homers and 94 RBI — Miranda made his MLB debut last May. But he struggled, hitting just .164 before dropping back down to the Saints. His demotion only lasted a day, though, before Royce Lewis' second ACL injury gave Miranda a second chance.

His batting average soared to .326 from his return at the end of May through July. And while he ended the year hitting .268 with 66 RBI, 25 doubles and 15 home runs, he couldn't quite maintain his midsummer level.

As the season wore on, Miranda's stamina waned just like the Twins' playoff chances. He hit .257 over his final 60 games, from Aug. 2 to the end of the season.

"Definitely in September, I kind of started feeling my body a little bit more. My arms, swinging-wise," Miranda said. "But I knew that in the offseason, I had to work with that to get better so this year I don't feel the same. So I kind of felt a little bad at the end. And I noticed part of it, it was the first year even playing in the bigs and playing until October. So now I know how to get better, and then I won't feel like that."

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey recalled meeting with Miranda toward the end of last season to emphasize the importance of this offseason, especially considering he will likely be the starting third baseman. Correa, who has been a mentor to Miranda, also did his part to keep tabs, even inviting Miranda to train with him in Houston, though Correa's wild free agency put a kibosh on that.

So when the 24-year-old returned to his native Puerto Rico once the season ended — and after he took a brief week off to recover — his real work began. For the first time in his playing career, he hired a nutritionist to direct his diet — smaller portions, lots of chicken and vegetables, no more M&M's and Snickers — and a personal chef to cook his lunches and dinners.

He and his trainer devised a workout schedule: lifting at the gym on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays; running on the track on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and playing at the field on Saturdays, plus every weekday after going to the gym/track. The goal was to become quicker and increase his fielding range.

Bench coach Jayce Tingler said he's been impressed with Miranda's ability to make adjustments, both in-season and outside of it, and accept feedback. He called Miranda "smart" and "sure-handed," and is looking forward to seeing his improved speed and agility when spring training starts in 2 ½ weeks.

But there is one tangible measurement Miranda can boast right now. At the end of the 2022 season, he weighed in at 216 pounds. Now he's at 204, meaning he's trimmed 12 pounds in the past three months.

All that, and he still found time for a social life. In early December, he married Paola, his girlfriend of five years and mother to their daughter, almost-3-year-old Valentina. He also took a quick cruise vacation in early January to spend time with his whole family while sailing to the Bahamas and Mexico.

What's more, Miranda didn't even find getting yoked difficult.

"No, it wasn't because, well in my mind, I wanted to have a good offseason. I wanted to get in better shape. I wanted to be ready for this season," Miranda said. "And so I was 100 percent sure in what I wanted."