With increased confidence, Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez making most of second MLB stint
Jesus Sanchez wasn’t taking any chances as the flyball he hit soared to left-center field. He thought he got enough of it, but was still hustling until he rounded first base and saw the ball land in Wrigley Field’s outfield seats for his first career MLB home run. A smile adorned his face from that point as he rounded the bases, tacking on to the Marlins’ lead in an eventual 11-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on June 19.
“That’s why I was running really fast,” Sanchez said afterward through an interpreter, “and when the ball left the field, I felt such a relief. It was like, ‘Phew.’”
There was no doubt on his second home run of the season two games later. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays at loanDepot park on Tuesday, Sanchez feasted on a 92 mph Ross Stripling fastball over the heart of the plate and blasted it 439 feet to straightaway center field. Sanchez took a moment to admire his piece of hitting before rounding the bases.
The home runs showcase the type of power the Marlins know the top outfielder prospect can provide to a lineup.
His overall body of work — and the overall confidence he is exuding — over his first two weeks since being called back up to the big leagues after a strong opening month in the minor leagues provides a glimpse at his possible long-term role with the club if he can keep with this trajectory.
Sanchez, the fifth-ranked prospect in the organization and the No. 97 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has at least one hit in seven of his first nine games with the Marlins this season. Eleven of his 25 balls put in play have been hard-hit, defined by Statcast as having an exit velocity of at least 95 mph off the bat.
“His demeanor, I think, has been better,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He started off even a little slow this time. You always see guys come up totally confident, bouncing around, but he didn’t seem to panic over a couple games where it didn’t really fall his way. He was hitting some balls hard, but he wasn’t getting hits. Everything looked the same. I think that’s the biggest [thing]. I hate to use the word maturity because he’s always been, I feel like, mature in the way he was going about it, but just a little bit more experience, a little bit more of knowing what to expect. He’ll still have his patches, but I think he looks a lot better this year.”
Sanchez, 23, is back on the big-league roster for good reason: He was downright dominant for Triple A Jacksonville. At the time of his callup, Sanchez ranked second in the Triple A East division with a 1.043 OPS and tied for third with 28 RBI while also hitting nine home runs and scoring 19 runs. He had multi-hit outings in 11 of his 33 games played for the Jumbo Shrimp.
“I didn’t change anything,” said Sanchez, who the Marlins acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2019 trade deadline. “It’s just the same thing I have all the time. What I really did was start believing in what God gives and believing in myself.
It set the stage for Sanchez to get his second chance to show he can compete in the big leagues after struggling in his first MLB stint last year.
Sanchez went just 1 for 25 with four walks and 11 strikeouts in his 10 games with the Marlins during the shortened 2020 season and also struggled early while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.
“Last year was tough on him,” Mattingly said, “and he learned from it.”
This time around, it’s hard to find a time when Sanchez doesn’t have a smile on his face. He’s making the most of the opportunity in front of him and showing he can be a valuable player for the organization.
Having a firm understanding of his role and a good support system in the clubhouse helps, too.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas, the club’s de-facto team captain, has made it a focal point to make sure up-and-coming prospects feel comfortable in the clubhouse as they transition to the big leagues. The better they feel around their teammates, Rojas said, the more relaxed they’ll be on the field when they need to perform.
“As long as he starts creating that bond with his new teammates and being himself around the clubhouse, he’s gonna show on the field,” Rojas said. “For me, it’s an important part of being a team and being a good teammate for them to feel comfortable right away. He’s going to help us on the field.”
Sanchez has already shown glimpses of what he can provide. His goal now is to prove he can keep up his production over an extended period of time.
“I’m feeling great,” Sanchez said. “I’m here.”
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