Slugging Sanchez leads Yanks' youth movement
NEW YORK -- An early indication that the Yankees might be about to witness something special took place on a remote diamond of their Spring Training complex back in early February, when an assault of batting practice home runs forced observers peeking through a chain-link outfield fence to take cover.Those
NEW YORK -- An early indication that the Yankees might be about to witness something special took place on a remote diamond of their Spring Training complex back in early February, when an assault of batting practice home runs forced observers peeking through a chain-link outfield fence to take cover.
Those thunderous drives were being launched off of
"When I came up, what I was thinking about was just getting the opportunity to play," Sanchez said through an interpreter. "They gave me the opportunity, I became the everyday catcher and good things have happened for me. It has been a special time for me because of everything that has happened."
Sanchez quickly became the face of the Yankees' accelerated youth movement, as veterans were phased out in favor of prospects such as
With the majority of the fan base seeming to give their blessing toward the fresh look, manager Joe Girardi's club responded by going 32-26 after Aug. 1 and played meaningful games into the season's final week. As difficult as it was to switch course in-season, the Yankees believe they did what was necessary.
"I was like, 'It's time,'" general manager Brian Cashman said. "We need to do certain things that we've never really done. I'm glad ownership signed off on it, and I think that the future is brighter because of it."
:: Take 10: Top stories of 2016 ::
One wonders how it might have played out had Sanchez's surge began in March, when he was widely favored to win a backup catcher competition. Sanchez went 2-for-22 (.091) in Grapefruit League play as
Playing every day proved to be a blessing in disguise for the 23-year-old Sanchez, who posted a .807 OPS at Triple-A. The Yankees called him up for a one-game cameo on May 13, plugging his right-handed bat into the DH spot against
With
Sanchez's first homer came on Aug. 10 off
"What Gary is doing, man, I've seen this for years," Judge said. "Gary's been doing this from Double-A, Triple-A and now he's up here to do it [in the Majors]. It's fun to watch and fun to be a part of."
Sanchez's 20 homers in 51 career games tied a record set by Wally Berger of the 1930 Braves, compiling a 1.032 OPS while throwing out 13 of 32 runners attempting to steal (41 percent). The performance on both sides of the ball pushed Sanchez into the starting catcher's job and made opponents quickly take note.
"I think defensively, he has been much more than maybe we had anticipated -- the accuracy to his throws, the arm strength that he has, his blocking ability," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He's a frontline player."
"Everyone already knew he belonged; it was just a matter of him getting an opportunity," McCann said. "So for him to go to Triple-A, do the things he did, he's carried on up here and he's going to be catching for a long, long time in this league."
Sanchez wrapped the year with a .299 average (60-for-201), 12 doubles, 20 home runs and 42 RBIs, finishing second to Tigers right-hander
The hardware would have been a nice souvenir, but what should excite the Yankees even more is to see what Sanchez will be able to accomplish while batting in the heart of the order over a full Major League season.
"The fans have shown me a lot of love here," Sanchez said. "I think that's a result of my play on the field. If I keep playing good, they'll keep cheering. We'll see what happens next year."
Bryan Hoch has covered the Yankees for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and on Facebook.