Is Gary Sanchez Still the Favorite to Become the Yankees’ Backup Catcher?

Gary Sanchez has gone hitless in his first ten at-bats this spring.

But, according to Ryan Hatch of NJ.com, Joe Girardi is not worried about Sanchez’s slow start.

“‘I think he’s given tough at-bats,’ Girardi said last weekend of Sanchez, Hatch wrote. ‘His timing is a little bit off. I don’t make too much of it.'”

When the Bronx Bombers opened spring training last month, Sanchez was expected to win the backup catcher job.

Last season, the 23-year-old hit .274 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

However, Sanchez has not achieved the same level of success with the bat thus far this spring.

Despite his struggles at the plate, Sanchez should still be the favorite in the race to become the Yankees’ number two catcher.

Sanchez is battling against Austin Romine and Carlos Corporan to win the backup catcher job.

Romine, 27, figures to be Sanchez’s stiffest competition.

He has 77 games of Major League experience and has gone 5-14 with three doubles and four RBIs this spring.

Corporan is more of a long shot.

The 32-year-old was signed by the Yankees in January after spending last season with the Texas Rangers.

A former twelfth-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003, Corporan hit .178 with 3 home runs and 15 RBIs in 33 games with the Rangers in 2015.

The biggest advantage Sanchez has over Romine and Corporan is his youth.

Since he is just 23 years old, Sanchez has time to develop and grow as a player.

Both Romine and Corporan don’t have the luxury of having time to mature and evolve like Sanchez does.

Sanchez is definitely the better long-term option for the Yankees going forward.

Furthermore, Sanchez has just two Major League at-bats under his belt.

Yankees fans should be eager to see what the youngster can do in the big leagues, not getting worked up about his lack of production in exhibition games.

Additionally, Sanchez’s offensive potential is significantly higher than that of Romine or Corporan.

In 177 plate appearances as a pro, Romine has hit just one home run. Corporan has managed to total only 20 home runs throughout his six year career.

During his six years in the minors, Sanchez crushed 89 home runs. He also tallied 378 RBIs.

Numbers like that look very promising.

It seems as though the sky is the limit for Sanchez as a hitter. It would be wise for the Yankees to stick with him as their backup catcher and see if he can mature into a consistent offensive threat.

The battle to be named the Yankees’ backup catcher will undoubtedly continue to rage on as Opening Day approaches.

It has been one of the most prominent storylines surrounding the Yankees this offseason and it will be interesting to see who the team selects to back up Brian McCann.

Even though Sanchez has stumbled early on, I think it is still his job to lose.