Yankees Gary Sanchez Making a Strong First Impression

Longtime New York Yankees top prospect Gary Sanchez has gotten off to a hot start since his big league call-up, impressing teammates, coaches, and fans.

After seven seasons in the New York Yankees minor league system, catcher Gary Sanchez may have finally carved out a niche for himself in the team’s major league lineup. He has started in each of the Yankees first four games since being called up, the first two as the designated hitter and the third and fourth behind the plate.

Sanchez has gotten at least one hit in each of his first four games, going 5-for-15 with three doubles, three runs scored, and three RBI.

He’s also shown impressive poise at the plate for a rookie. For example, he came up with the bases loaded in the sixth inning of Friday’s 13-7 victory over the Indians and calmly drew a walk. Most rookies would have been anxious to prove themselves and chased bad pitches, but Sanchez stayed cool and picked up the RBI. 

More from Yankees News

• Michael Kay’s Anthony Volpe story will get Yankees fans amped for Opening Day
• No, Yankees should not acquire Trevor Bauer for 2023
• Yankees’ Marwin González replaces Red Sox LF in Japan in logical next step
• Blue Jays overpaying for Yankees trade target shows they’re trying too hard
• Aaron Judge’s influence on Carlos Rodón shows he’s more powerful than Yankees

The 23-year-old catcher has not missed a stride in his transition to the big leagues. He had been hitting .282/.339/.468 (132 wRC+) with 10 home runs for Triple-A Scranton this year, and has stayed red-hot at the plate since his breakout in 2015.

Sanchez also has drawn accolades for his work behind the plate. He has long been seen as a candidate to move out from behind the plate due to his defensive shortcomings, but his recent commitment to improving his catching seems to have improved his prospects of sticking at the position long-term.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was complimentary about Sanchez’s first start at catcher Friday night, telling Joe Giglio of NJ Advance Media:

I didn’t see him get flustered at any point, didn’t see him get emotional. He made two good throws to help Michael (Pineda) out early in the game. He recorded two of the first four outs for Michael, in a sense. I thought he did a nice job.

Teammate Mark Teixeira seemed blown away by Sanchez’s famous arm strength, which has always been seen as a standout tool.

“That arm, man! That’s a special arm right there. You’re not going to have many guys stealing on him with that arm. You just loving seeing 23-year-old guys with all the skills needed to be a great player. I’m looking forward to seeing him play.”

The Yankees have made a point of finding regular playing time for Gary Sanchez so far despite a less-than-ideal roster construction. The team is currently carrying three catchers, as well as one player in Alex Rodriguez who has no defensive position. This current alignment leaves them with very little flexibility.

At this point cutting A-Rod does not seem to be in the cards, and Yankees backup catcher Austin Romine has no minor league options remaining, so they may need to just ride this situation out until rosters expand in September.

Girardi told reporters that he would rotate all three guys through the catcher spot down the stretch. Hopefully Gary Sanchez’s playing time continues to be prioritized over the next two months, because it looks like they may have found their cleanup hitter for next season.