The Yankees have been one of the most disappointing teams in all of baseball. Their offense has been lackluster and their starting rotation has failed to provide consistency. Nothing has clicked for the Bombers thus far. However, there have been some pleasant surprises in 2021.Â
Gary Sanchez was one of the worst catchers during the 2020 season. He hit .147 with a .232 OBP and a .618 OPS. It was a complete disaster for the Sanchino. During the postseason, backup catcher Kyle Higashioka saw more playing time than the silver slugger. It was the lowest point in the young catcher’s career.Â
Going into 2021, many wanted nothing to do with Sanchez. They wanted Cashman to send him elsewhere and commit to Higashioka going forward. The frustration around Gary was warranted. He was very very bad in 2020. However, the Yankees decided to keep him around.
During the first few months of the 2021 season, things looked the same. In late May, Sanchez was batting .186. However, with a .308 OBP at the time, things looked different. His at-bats were clearly better and even though his average was low, he was getting on base. Things didn’t seem completely hopeless.
Then came the month of June. Sanchez quickly became one of the best offensive catchers in the league. As of now, he is batting .238 with a .347 OBP and a .843 OPS. A HUGE jump from last month. In fact, since May 27th he is batting .318 with a .400 OBP and a 1.105 OPS. He also has six doubles, nine home runs, and 21 RBI’s. Gary Sanchez has quickly become an all-star catcher.
So, will it last?
Sanchez is a very streaky player. It’s tough to say whether he will continue this resurgence. However, you can tell he has made some real adjustments. He has been lifting his front foot less and driving the ball the other way. A different approach from Sanchez at the plate has been vital to his success thus far. He’s the only one that can control whether that continues.
Tune in tonight as Gary Sanchez and the Yankees take on the Angels in the final game of a four-game series!