Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Gary Sánchez Born: 12/02/1992 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 2"	Weight: 230
	Primary Position: C
	Secondary Position: 1B

Stocky build; thicker body that looks like a catcher mold; slight room left to grow into frame; does not need that growth and could actually slim down some to provide more athleticism.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/18/2014
Dates Seen	8/15/2014 - 8/17/2014
Affiliate	Trenton Thunder (AA, Yankees)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2015	High	50	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	40	Inconsistent swing; plus bat speed; quick wrists; able to control the bat head efficiently but will not always put the ball in play; swing can become too handsy; sometimes fails to use his bottom half; generates efficient hip torque but swings can become lazy at times; very slight hitch at times; great extension and able to cover a lot of the zone; loves to push the ball to the right-center gap; ability to drive ball to all parts of the field; will get under the ball at times and backspin a popup; average pitch recognition; can handle high-end velocity but will cheat sometimes.
Power	60	Easy plus raw power; power is a big part of his game; hits the ball hard when he makes contact; slight lift in swing; plus bat speed and quick wrists; body is built for power and has the hip torque to hit balls hard.
Baserunning/Speed	20	Lacks any form of speed; home to first times are constantly over 4.6 seconds; poor second gear.
Glove	40	Defense has improved since my viewing last season; feet are still slow and he lacks the necessary movement to block pitches; really struggles to block pitches in the dirt; footwork is still largest issue; does show ability to bounce out in front of home plate and set himself for a throw to first or second; no feel for pitch framing; lacks the fluidity in his wrists and hands to catch; he can hold his own behind the dish but will not be an asset; sluggish movement added to below average receiving skills hinder his defensive value.
Arm	70	Did not record a pop time in-game; 1.97 on a warmup; displays an excellent arm in-game; terrific arm strength; laser throws; able to throw with force and made two bullet throws to first on bunts; plus-plus tool that will help him behind the plate and might play up the defense.

Sanchez is an intriguing player with a hit-first style. His bat will likely work at C, but the defense is not at the level needed to stick defensively at the highest level. He is not reliable behind the plate currently, although there have been slight improvements in his horizontal movement since my last viewing in 2013.

The bat may play at 1B, but it takes away his best value as a prospect - the arm. Sanchez is still a high risk player even with significant time at the Double-A level. His defensive game is not ready for the majors and could significantly alter his value as a prospect. With fringe defense at C, he is a bat first prospect that will need to crush the ball to stick as a consistent starter as a 1B/DH hybrid that can play C in a pinch. I think he is closer to the realistic role than the OFP.