MLB: Five Players With the Most to Prove This Season
By Travis Koch
MLB’s Most to Prove: Gary Sanchez
Gary Sanchez‘s situation is similar to Bryant’s. The Yankee backstop has an additional year of club control, but he was the topic of trade curiosities throughout the offseason.
Sanchez slashed .147/.253/.365 in the short season. He hit ten home runs but only four doubles. New York loves his power surges; however, they’ve been few and far between two of the last three years. He sandwiched a formidable .525 SLG in 2019 with a .365 in 2020 and a .406 in 2018. Sanchez is valuable when slugging at a 50% or higher clip. If he’s not, he becomes a liability on offense.
He’s running out of time to prove himself worthy of pinstripes. The Yankees have their minds set on winning a championship; it’s not in their DNA to drag someone along that is hurting their chances.
As far as individual chances go, Sanchez has it pretty good in the Yankees lineup. With several superstars hitting ahead of him, he doesn’t have to carry a significant load. He can tuck into the sixth or seventh spot in the order and still encounter plenty of run-producing opportunities.
The problem is pitchers can dispose of Sanchez far too easily. Sure, he can turn around a fastball, but he’s always struggled to time up and lay off breaking balls. He must improve his discipline in 2021.
A poor season from Sanchez will further subject him to trade possibilities. Should New York not draw any takers, he would become a non-tender candidate at the start of the offseason.
In five seasons, Sanchez is a two-time All-Star. He’s proven successful, but inconsistency is difficult to tolerate at the MLB level. The Yankees need a convincing year from him.