Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Are You Hungry Yet?
Mar 4, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (78) hits a sacrifice RBI during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at a spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Scout’s View: Gary Sanchez
THERRON BROCKISH / BASEBALLAMERICA.COM
The Arizona Fall League began its 2015 campaign with home runs flying, mirroring what’s happening in the major league postseason.
In Peoria, the Javelinas hosted the Surprise Saguaros. The first home run of the AFL season belonged to Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, who belted a 420-foot shot to left field in the first inning [ Yep – that was hit off of Lucas Sims ] to give the Saguaros a 3-0 lead.
…
Prospect Report
Gary Sanchez, c
Born: Dec. 2, 1992. Ht.:6-2. Wt.:230. B-T: R-R.
| Tool | Grade |
| Hitting | 45/50 |
| Power | 60 |
| Fielding | 50 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Arm | 60 |
Hitting
Future Grade: 45/50
Sanchez’s offense has been steady if not spectacular in the minors so far; he’s a career .274/.339/.459 hitter in 2,157 minor league at-bats. His swing is powerful and generates great bat speed. He will strike out but probably not as much as one would think for a middle of the order bat, as he’s struck out in 21 percent of his minor league plate appearances. He still has some young hitter tendencies to swing at breaking balls out of the strike zone, but as he matures, so will his discipline at the plate. He looks like a guy that will hit in the .260-.270 range. A club will have to live with 100-plus strikeouts for some of the power potential.
…
Defense
Future Grade: 50
Managers want a catcher who is solid defensively and can handle the pitching staff. Receiving and blocking move to the top of the list when grading catchers’ fielding tools. Sanchez is large physically by catching standards and provides a big target for pitchers to throw to. He has soft hands and showed good blocking skills. He was charged with one passed ball on Tuesday but it appeared to be caused by being crossed up by a new pitcher with a runner at second base. He had just two passed balls in 83 regular-season games in 2015 after yielding 10 in 83 games in ’14.
[ Ed. note: Excerpted – check out the full article for yourself at the link above. Gary Sanchez is still an intriguing trade possibility for the Yankees since – as Brockish points out – they have a solid 1-2 punch at Catcher now in the form of Brian McCann and John Ryan Murphy. We know the Braves had expressed interest in Sanchez previously.
The knock on Sanchez – which is not indicated here – is his work ethic, which is said to be below expectations. While this might make him more available, it also makes one wonder if an acquiring team might not be inheriting future issues. That said, having a grizzled veteran catcher … A.J. Pierzynski? … alongside Sanchez to show him the expectations are of a major league backstop might be the right prescription.
Then again, that was supposed to be the elixir for Christian Bethancourt as well. ]