Santo Domingo. Left-handed pitcher
Cristopher Sánchez, a native of La Romana, is having the best season of his career in the Major Leagues and is already beginning to be mentioned as one of the possible candidates for the prestigious
Cy Young Award of the National League.
Sánchez, of the
Philadelphia Phillies, has an excellent record of
8-2 with an
ERA of 2.50, ranking among the top ten starters in the circuit in multiple key metrics, including his
FIP (2.75) and his
fWAR of 3.2, the fourth highest among National League pitchers, only behind Zack Wheeler, Paul Skenes and Logan Webb.
According to MLB analyst Jared Greenspan, Sánchez’s velocity change has become one of the most dominant weapons in baseball, limiting hitters to a mere average of
.146, with a
strikeout rate of 46.2%. Furthermore, his powerful sinker generates a ground ball rate that is in the
96th percentile, a demonstration of his dominance over opposing hitters.
Although he wasn’t selected for the All-Star Game, the pitcher has had a remarkable rise since June, recording a brilliant 1.63 ERA in eight consecutive starts, all of at least six innings and allowing two runs or less. This is the longest streak of its kind in the MLB season.
In his most recent start, on July 13 against the San Diego Padres, he pitched
7 1/3 innings, allowed one run, six hits, struck out six, and walked three. With that performance, he lowered his ERA to 2.50.
In his fifth season in the majors, all with the Phillies, Cristopher Sánchez is solidifying himself as a key piece of the rotation and a pleasant surprise within the National League’s pitching staff. If he maintains this pace, his name could be among the finalists for the Cy Young, an award reserved for the best arms in baseball.
