The best ability is availability, so they so regarding being a professional athlete. There’s to sides to that argument — either, you’re a really bad player and being available doesn’t matter, or you’re incredibly talented and can’t remain on the field to maximize your abilities. The New York Yankees have faced this reality in recent years, especially in 2019, when a majority of their team spent time on the injured list.
For catcher Gary Sanchez, injuries have plagued his career and limited his consistency. Sanchez has never played in over 122 games, failing to break the 106-game mark over the last two seasons. However, that’s not the only concern with Sanchez, who’s a phenomenal catcher/hitter when performing at peak quality.
Sanchez has struggled defensively at times, allowing 16 & 18 passed balls in 2017-2018. Last season, he took a significant step forward in his defense, logging just seven. His caught stealing percentage has plummeted every year for the Yankees, as he earned a 23% success rate in 2019 after earning a 38% success rate in 2017. Despite his decrease in numbers, Sanchez goes through bouts of absolute dominance, especially when he’s fully healthy, and the team is rolling.
Take a look at this incredible defensive video, highlighting both Sanchez and third baseman, Miguel Andujar, who’s also notably a lousy defender.
https://twitter.com/deflategator/status/1213521360124858368
While most would say this is a lucky play, and the bounce off the backstop undoubtedly was, the awareness and vision to sling this ball to third base was skillful. Andujar is in the perfect position to make the play, and the throw couldn’t have been more on point from Sanchez.
The point here is that both players are capable of playing at a high level, and consistent reps is ultimately the key. The Yankees recently overhauled their entire strength and conditioning program, hopefully giving them an advantage over soft-tissue injuries. Only time will tell, but sweeping changes needed to be made after Yankee players landed on the injured list 39 separate times in 2019.