His bat is a big reason why Gary Sanchez has become a popular player around New York. However, the Yankees want to make sure he is focusing on other aspects of being a catcher as well.
In just 53 games last season, Sanchez hit .299 and slugged 20 home runs. So far this year, he has 17 home runs and a .265 average in 77 games. Sanchez also took part in Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby last month and knocked Giancarlo Stanton out of the competition in the first round.
When it comes to Sanchez’s defense, there is room for improvement and Yankees manager Joe Girardi sent a message on Sunday. Sanchez was not in the starting lineup for the game against the Indians, citing a need for Sanchez’s play behind the plate to improve.
“The message came from us verbally: that your defense needs to improve, you need to get better at it and you need to work at it,” Girardi said, via the NY Daily News. “He’s worked at it, but we’ve expressed how important it is.”
“His work has to translate into the games is the bottom line, and sometimes it takes longer than what you hope for,” Girardi continued.
At 24 years old, Sanchez is at an age where it would not be surprising to see his defense improve. After all, catcher is a difficult position to play. However, with Sanchez having 12 errors and 10 passed balls so far this season, the Yankees are using this as a teaching moment for their All-Star.
