Gary Sanchez Fantasy News & Stats

Gary Sanchez

26-Year-Old CatcherC

New York Yankees

2018 Stats

AVG

.186

RBI

2019 Projections

AVG

RBI

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2019 Fantasy Outlook

Raise your hand if you were surprised Sanchez has had a balky left shoulder since 2017. He finally underwent a debridement procedure in November to clean up the tissue causing irritation. There's no telling how this affected Sanchez last season, but his .186/.291/.406 line was shocking in light of what he did the previous two campaigns. Sanchez's defense also suffered with a league-leading 18 passed balls, despite only 76 games behind the dish. He had two DL stints after straining then aggravating his groin. Aside from the likely impact of the assorted injuries, Sanchez hit into some seriously bad luck. His Statcast data, specifically exit velocity and barrels, were nearly identical to 2017, with decidedly poorer results. His .304 wOBA was nearly 40 points below his expected .343 mark. There's some added injury risk, but Sanchez is arguably the same guy he was this time last year when he was the consensus top backstop, a top-40 overall player. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

#58

ADP

Overall

Catcher

Add To Watchlist

League Majors

Bats R

Throws R

40 Man Yes

Height 6'2"

Weight 230

DOB 12/2/1992

Born Santo Domingo, DR

College None

Drafted 2009 NYY

Will remain primary catcher in 2019

CNew York Yankees

December 18, 2018

General manager Brian Cashman relayed last week that Sanchez has finished the "heavy lifting" of his rehab from left shoulder surgery and will serve as the Yankees' primary catcher in 2019, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

ANALYSIS
Sanchez was a major disappointment both offensively and defensively in 2018, slashing just .186/.291/.406 across 374 plate appearances while yielding 18 passed balls, five more than any other backstop. The 26-year-old's lack of defensive polish may force a move to first base or designated hitter down the line, but the Yankees remain hopeful that with improved health, Sanchez can acquit himself well enough to be a passable option behind the dish. For fantasy purposes, Sanchez still projects as an elite fantasy asset at the position if he can avoid the extended absences and terrible luck on balls in play that marred his 2018 campaign.

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Batting Stats

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Minor League Game Log

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Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2016

+4%

OPS vs LHP

2018

+37%

OPS vs LHP

2017

+1%

OPS vs LHP

2016

+26%

OPS vs RHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2016vs Left	.875	285	44	20	54	0	.237	.340	.535
Since 2016vs Right	.840	843	120	51	131	4	.257	.331	.509
2018vs Left	.872	99	16	6	20	0	.229	.354	.518
2018vs Right	.636	275	35	12	33	1	.171	.269	.367
2017vs Left	.882	123	18	8	23	0	.266	.350	.532
2017vs Right	.874	402	61	25	67	2	.282	.343	.530
2016vs Left	.868	63	10	6	11	0	.189	.302	.566
2016vs Right	1.093	166	24	14	31	1	.338	.404	.689
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Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2016

+8%

OPS on Road

2018

+16%

OPS on Road

2017

+3%

OPS on Road

2016

+9%

OPS on Road

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2016Home	.816	552	83	33	89	1	.250	.322	.494
Since 2016Away	.881	576	81	38	96	3	.254	.344	.537
2018Home	.647	190	23	8	26	0	.179	.295	.352
2018Away	.748	184	28	10	27	1	.193	.288	.460
2017Home	.863	251	42	15	42	1	.286	.331	.532
2017Away	.887	274	37	18	48	1	.271	.358	.529
2016Home	.988	111	18	10	21	0	.283	.351	.636
2016Away	1.075	118	16	10	21	1	.314	.398	.676
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Stat Review

How does Gary Sanchez compare to other hitters?

This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances). The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

BB/K

0.49

BB Rate

12.3%

K Rate

25.1%

BABIP

.197

ISO

.220

AVG

.186

OBP

.291

SLG

.406

OPS

.697

Advanced Batting Stats

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Additional Stats

Games By Position

Defensive Stats

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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Gary Sanchez

The Z Files: Early Player Pool Observations

97 days ago

Todd Zola offers his early thoughts on the shape of the 2019 player pool and suggests that J.T. Realmuto may be the only catcher left worth an early-round investment.

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Monday Playoff Picks

107 days ago

Adam Zdroik looks over Monday’s three-game playoff slate, rolling with Dodgers hurler Rich Hill in Game 4 against the Braves.

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Playoff Picks

109 days ago

Gary Sanchez may have slumped during the regular season, but he still owns an impressive head-to-head record against Game 2 starter David Price.

DraftKings MLB: Saturday Playoff Picks

109 days ago

Gerrit Cole enjoyed a stellar first season with the Astros and is in line to continue his success against the Indians in Game 2 of their series.

DraftKings MLB: Tuesday Picks

120 days ago

Derek VanRiper provides his best recommendations for Tuesday's slate, including the Rangers' Rougned Odor on the road against the Angels.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

Coming off one of the most spectacular debuts, especially for a catcher, projecting Sanchez's power for 2017 was a challenge. As it turned out, using his MLEs (major league equivalencies) did the trick nicely. Sanchez's 40 percent HR/FB mark from 2016 fell to a still outstanding, but more sustainable 25 percent. If there was a downside to Sanchez's 2017 season, it was tying Yasmani Grandal for the league lead with 18 passed balls. However, blocking pitches is down on a receiver's list of skills and Sanchez fared much better with the more important framing and throwing metrics. Still, with a new skipper in the Bronx, Sanchez's high passed ball total, along with his well-publicized woes with throws to the plate in the playoffs, could result in him seeing more time at designated hitter. Fortunately, for fantasy owners, that's a good thing, assuming he still catches 20 games, which he should. Sanchez is the clear top fantasy backstop and a top-30 overall player. Drafting him in the early rounds is more a question of strategy than valuation.

Well that's one way to make an entrance. Despite playing just one game in the majors before Aug. 3, Sanchez played his way into Rookie of the Year contention with one of the best 50-game stretches to begin a career of all time. The catcher hit 11 home runs in a 15-game span and ended with 20 homers and 42 RBI -- absurd numbers considering he played in just 53 contests. Though he seemed to run out of steam a bit at the end, hitting just .222 in September while striking out in more than one-third of his at-bats, the rookie still finished with a 1.032 OPS. It's highly unlikely his 60-homer pace will be sustainable over the course of a full season, but Sanchez will immediately jump toward the top of the list among the best -- if not the best -- offensive catchers next season, when he'll be just 24 years old.

Sanchez has long been looked at as a top prospect, yet he'll be turning just 23 over the offseason and could finally be inching closer to getting his first real test in the majors. The catcher made his first appearance at the Triple-A level after a midseason promotion and posted impressive numbers in 35 games, bouncing back after a disappointing 2014 campaign. His prospect rating fell a bit after a steady decline in the power department, but Sanchez tied a career high with 18 long balls across both Double-A and Triple-A. With the offseason trade of John Ryan Murphy, there is now an opening for the major league backup job, a position for which Sanchez will likely compete with Austin Romine in spring training.

Sanchez feels like he has been on the prospect landscape forever. Yet, he will only be 22 years old when he presumably gets his first taste of Triple-A at some point in the 2015 season. That said, 2014 can only be described as a disappointment for the former top prospect in the Yankees’ system. He hit 13 home runs with a .270/.338/.406 slash line in 110 games at Double-A Trenton. To put that in perspective, former pseudo catching prospect for the Yankees and current bust with the Mariners, Jesus Montero, hit .317/.370/.539 with nine home runs in 44 games at Double-A Trenton as a 19-year-old in 2009. For a player who probably won’t be able to stick at catcher, Sanchez isn’t hitting enough to be an average first baseman or designated hitter. He still has enough raw power to keep him on the map, but he is now a fringe top-5 prospect in the system.

Sanchez is likely the Yankees' No. 1 prospect again thanks in part to a disappointing 2013 season from Mason Williams. He's shown good power throughout his minor league career and held his own in a 23-game stint with Double-A Trenton late in 2013. It seems unlikely that Sanchez will stick behind the plate, and he still needs to develop more discipline as a hitter, but there's a ton of upside in his bat, even if he ends up as a first baseman. The Yankees will have more time to sort out their plan with Sanchez after signing Brian McCann to a long-term deal during the offseason.

Sanchez seemed to put the attitude issues that plagued him in 2011 behind him, and put together a very solid season in 2012, hitting .290 with 18 homers across two levels. Sanchez has huge raw power that is starting to show in games, and while he needs to make a few mechanical adjustments to make his swing more efficient, the hit tool definitely appears to be there. Behind the plate, Sanchez has a good arm, but he's not terribly agile and it's still an open question as to whether he'll stick at catcher for the long term. Sanchez is still young for the level he's playing at, and regardless of whether he stays at catcher or not, he should be an impact bat in the majors with an ETA of 2015.

Sanchez came into the season at Low-A Charleston with very high expectations, and when he got off to a slow start, Sanchez was sent back to Tampa in early June to get his mind right. He was a different player after returning to Charleston, putting up seven homers in a nine-game stretch in late July through early August, and twice winning South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors. Sanchez shows fantastic power, but continues to struggle with his defense, though he has an excellent arm behind the plate. Sanchez remains a top-50 prospect on most lists, and 2012 will be a key year in his development as he faces more advanced pitching at High-A and demonstrates whether he'll be able to remain behind the plate. He's got the hitting tools to be worth picking up in your minor league draft regardless of where he ends up playing, though.

Despite not turning 18 until after the season, Sanchez hit .329/.393/.543 between the rookie league Yankees and short-season Staten Island. He obviously still needs a lot of development, but he has the physical tools to be a good backstop, and scouts believe he has above-average power to all fields. Add his name to the impressive array of minor league catching talent the Yankees have assembled.

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