NEW YORK -- Gary Sanchez said Tuesday that he will forego the World Baseball Classic to focus on his role as the Yankees' starting catcher.
Sanchez, a Dominican Republic native, said no one with the Yankees asked him to skip the tournament.
"This was a really hard decision, but I chose not to play in the WBC," Sanchez said. "I've only been in the big leagues about two months, and I know it went well, but I still think there's a lot I have to do preparation-wise to be able to catch for a full season for the first time."
Sanchez was being honored at the annual Thurman Munson awards dinner at the Grand Hyatt. He said he leaves Wednesday for Florida.