New York Yankees: Gary Sanchez Ready to Build on Strong 2016

Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees had one of the most impressive introductions of any rookie we’ve seen in recent years, hitting 20 home runs in just 53 MLB games played. Now he’s ready to prove himself for 162 games.

It’s difficult to avoid building a lot of hype when you set rookie records in the matter of a few months in the big leagues. As hard as people try to temper their expectations, they will always remember how incredible the run Gary Sanchez had in 2016 was. That will always be the goal that he is striving to reach once again. It will always be what people know him for. Regardless, the young catcher is ready to prove himself in the coming season.

Sanchez seemed to be nearly ready for the big leagues at this time a year ago, but he ultimately lost the backup catcher job to Austin Romine. Now Brian McCann is gone, and Sanchez will head to camp as the starting catcher for the New York Yankees. Sanchez is aware of the responsibilities that come from being the starting catcher. That’s why he’s worked hard all offseason on building his strength in preparation for a long season ahead.

With the goal of catching 100 games in mind, Sanchez spent his offseason building muscle. That will certainly help him stay healthy and fresh throughout the season. As a byproduct, it may also help him increase his already impressive power at the plate.

Sanchez’ 2016 season was just 229 plate appearances in the big leagues, but he certainly proved his worth during that time. He slashed .299/.376/.657 with 20 home runs, a .358 ISO, and 171 wRC+. The more advanced stats were skewed by his short sample size, but it shouldn’t diminish how impressive he truly was during that stretch. Had he done half as well in twice as many plate appearances, he would have likely added some hardware to his shelves. Instead, he finished behind Michael Fulmer for the AL Rookie of the Year award.

None of that matters now. Not losing the award. Not the 20 home runs. Not the 171 wRC+. What matters now for Sanchez is the 2017 season. He’s hungry and anxious to prove that his 2016 introduction to the big leagues was not a fluke. With a strong foundation and the belief of the coaches, there’s no reason to believe that he’ll do anything else. It won’t be nearly as impressive or awe-inspiring as the final two months of last season, but it will surely be fun to watch.

Gary Sanchez nearly single-handedly put the Yankees within playoff reach a season ago. Despite having the identity of a rebuilding team based on their sheer number of prospects, Sanchez and others can help them have a similar or even better season in 2017. In a tough division it might be hard to reach the postseason, but the Yankees and Sanchez are surely going to give it their best shot.