Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez Jr. (; born February 27, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. He made his
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) debut in 2006 with the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park.
The ...
and also played for the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
,
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
, and
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. On September 6, 2006, in his 13th career Major League start, Sánchez pitched a
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
.
Career
Boston Red Sox
Sánchez was signed by the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
as an international
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
in 2001. After playing in the
Venezuelan Summer League for two seasons, Sánchez suffered an elbow injury that required surgery to move his elbow ligament, causing him to miss the entire 2003 season.
In the following year, he returned to the mound, this time making his debut on American soil with the short-season Single-A
Lowell Spinners. In 15 starts, Sánchez posted a 3–4 record with a 1.77
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), and by the end of the year was widely considered one of Boston's top pitching prospects. After the 2004 season,
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
named Sánchez Boston's fifth-best prospect, behind shortstop
Hanley Ramírez, outfielder
Brandon Moss, and pitchers
Jonathan Papelbon and
Jon Lester. By 2006, Ramírez, Papelbon, and Lester had all played in the majors; Moss was selected as the
Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...
most valuable player in 2006.
2005 saw the young prospect starting the season off in
Wilmington, Boston's High-A ball affiliate. After posting a 6–1 record with a 2.40 ERA, receiving a selection for the
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
, and making the
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
team, he was promoted to the Double-A
Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...
. Sánchez got off to a hot start there, but tired toward the end of the season, creating some concern about his durability. Still, Sánchez put up a 3.45 ERA over 11 starts in his first year in Double-A; at 21 years old, he was still one of the youngest players in his league.
Florida Marlins
At the end of the 2005 season, Boston traded Sánchez along with
Hanley Ramírez, Jesús Delgado, and Harvey García to the Florida Marlins, in the same transaction that brought
Josh Beckett,
Guillermo Mota, and
Mike Lowell to the Red Sox. In addition to Beckett and Lowell, the Marlins traded several of their other star players after the 2005 season, including
Carlos Delgado,
Juan Pierre,
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player and television personality. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (–), Florida Marlins (2004–, ), New York Met ...
, and
Luis Castillo, for mainly minor-league prospects. Baseball America ranked Sánchez third in the Marlins system (after
Jeremy Hermida and Ramirez) and 40th overall in the major leagues at the start of the 2006 season.
The Marlins started six
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...
s in their
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
lineup in 2006, but elected to have Sánchez return to Class AA to start the season with the
Carolina Mudcats
The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, and play their home games ...
. Sánchez made his first 15 starts in 2006 with Mudcats, for whom he posted a 3–6 record with a 3.15 ERA. While with Carolina, he pitched two complete games, one of which was a seven-hit shutout.
On June 25, he was called up to the majors to start the second half of a doubleheader in
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
against the
Yankees. Sánchez's major league debut was a strong one, as he allowed seven hits and no runs in 5 innings against the Yankees. He then turned the game over to his
bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...
, which blanked the Yankees the rest of the way,
shutting out the Yankees for the first time all year, 5–0. Sánchez became just the second visiting starter in the past decade to win his big-league debut at
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
(fellow
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
n
Gustavo Chacín of the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
, who beat the Yankees in September 2004, is the other). On July 14, the 22-year-old Sánchez started against and defeated
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
pitcher
Roger Clemens, who made his MLB debut when Sánchez was just three months old.
On September 6, 2006, Sánchez
no-hit the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
2–0 at
Dolphin Stadium. He walked four batters and struck out six, throwing 103 pitches. The Marlins, who used 21 rookies during the 2006 season, started six in Sánchez's no-hitter, setting the record for most rookies to play for the winning team in a no-hitter.
The no-hitter was also the first thrown since
Randy Johnson's perfect game on May 18, 2004, as
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
saw no pitcher throw a no-hitter.
On September 27, Sánchez earned his tenth win against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, joining teammates
Josh Johnson,
Scott Olsen, and
Ricky Nolasco in the first set of four rookie teammates in MLB history to record ten or more wins in their rookie seasons. Marlins left-hander
Dontrelle Willis had a record of 12–12, so with Sánchez's tenth win, the Marlins had their first set of five pitchers with ten or more wins in franchise history.
He finished his first season with the Marlins with a record of 10–3 and an ERA of 2.83 in 18 major-league games (17 starts).
Before their game against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
on September 30, the Marlins presented Sánchez with the pitching rubber and home plate used in his no-hitter. The
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most-populous coun ...
Office of the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners officially named September 30, 2006, Aníbal Sánchez Day.
2007
Sánchez suffered shoulder problems during spring training but still started 2007 with the Marlins, going 2–1 with a 4.80 ERA in six starts. When reliever
Jorge Julio returned to the team from the disabled list on May 4, the Marlins demoted Sánchez to
Class AAA Albuquerque, citing his struggles with control. On June 21, it was reported that his season was over after having
Dr. James Andrews perform surgery to repair a tear in his labrum.
2008
On July 31, 2008, Sánchez pitched his first Major League game in almost 15 months against the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
. He had a solid outing and pitched innings while giving up two runs on six hits and striking out four. The Marlins went on to win that game 12–2, with Sánchez collecting his first win of the season.
2009–2010
Another shortened season limited Sánchez to 16 starts in 2009, but he saw improvements in his stats, finishing with a 3.87 ERA and his lowest WHIP and opponent's batting average since his rookie year.
2010 saw Sánchez finally get through a whole season, as he was the only Marlins' starter to stay in the starting rotation for the entire season. He set a career high in wins with 13, with a still-declining ERA of 3.55 and 195 innings pitched.
2011
On April 22, he took another no-hitter into the ninth inning against the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
before giving up a hit to
Dexter Fowler. Sánchez finished the game for his fourth career complete game. Three starts later, Sánchez again took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
before losing it. Sánchez would also throw another complete game on May 26 against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, a 1–0 win that gave Sánchez his third career shutout. Sánchez would throw a one-hitter against the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, his fourth career shutout and second of the season, in early September. After starting the season 6–2, a lack of run support and injuries from the rest of the team led resulted in a 2–7 finish to the season.
2012
Aníbal made 19 starts for the Miami Marlins in 2012, compiling a 5–7 record with a 3.94 ERA.
Detroit Tigers
Rest of 2012
On July 23, 2012, Sánchez was traded to the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
along with
Omar Infante for
Jacob Turner,
Rob Brantly,
Brian Flynn and a draft pick. In 12 starts for the Tigers, he went 4–6 with a 3.74 ERA. The Tigers won the AL Central division, giving Sánchez a chance to play in the first postseason of his career.
In the
2012 ALDS against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
, Sánchez started and lost Game 3 despite giving up two runs in innings, as the Tigers offense did not score in the game. In Game 2 of the
2012 ALCS, Sánchez shut out the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
on three hits over seven innings, and earned the win in a 3–0 game. In Game 3 of the
2012 World Series, Sánchez struck out eight over seven innings, but took the loss in the Tigers 2–0 defeat to the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. Overall, he went 1–2 in the 2012 postseason with a 1.77 ERA.
On December 14, 2012, Sánchez agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract to remain with the Tigers. The deal includes $75 million in salary for five years, plus a team option in the sixth year for an additional $16 million, making the total value of the contract worth a potential $91 million. If the Tigers did not exercise the option, they would have owed Sánchez a $5 million buyout fee.
2013
Sánchez made his 2013 regular season debut on April 3, as the starting pitcher in the Tigers' second game of the season. On April 26, during a 10–0 victory at
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium (Detroit), Tiger Stadium.
History Construction
Founded in 1894, t ...
against the Atlanta Braves, Sánchez set a Detroit Tigers franchise record with 17 strikeouts, breaking the previous team record of 16 set in 1972 by
Mickey Lolich. Amazingly, Sánchez set the record in only 8 innings pitched, as he was removed from the game prior to the ninth inning after throwing 121 pitches.
[Aníbal sets Tigers record with career-high 17 K's]
MLB.com, April 26, 2013 On May 24, Sánchez made a bid for his second career no-hitter. He did not allow a hit for innings against the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
, before finally surrendering a single to
Joe Mauer. He finished the game to earn a shutout in the Tigers 6–0 win.
On September 11, Sánchez won his 14th game of the 2013 campaign in a 1–0 defeat of the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
to establish a new career high for wins in a season. He finished the regular season with a 14–8 record, while fanning 202 batters in 182 innings pitched. His 2.57 ERA led all American League starters. He also allowed the fewest home runs per nine innings in the AL (0.4).
In Game 1 of the
American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. The winner of the ALCS wins the AL pennant and ...
on October 12, Sánchez struck out four
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
batters in the first inning, due to a wild pitch on one of the strikeouts. He became just the second player in Major League history to accomplish this feat in the postseason, following
Orval Overall in the
1908 World Series. Sánchez went on to pitch six no-hit innings with 12 strikeouts and six walks. He was lifted prior to the seventh inning due to throwing 116 pitches, but earned the win in a 1–0 Tigers victory. He was not as sharp in Game 5 of the series, surrendering nine hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings, as the Tigers lost 4–3.
2014
Sánchez entered
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
as the Tigers' #3 starter. On April 26, he was placed on the disabled list due to a laceration on his right middle finger. He returned successfully to the rotation with a win over the Boston Red Sox on May 18. On June 30, Sánchez struck out
Alberto Callaspo of the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
for his 1,000th career strikeout.
Sánchez left an August 8 game against the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
with discomfort in his side. The injury was later diagnosed as a strained pectoral muscle, sending Sánchez to the disabled list for the second time this season.
2015
Sánchez began 2015 as the Tigers' #2 starter, due to the offseason loss of
Max Scherzer and an injury to
Justin Verlander. He had a rough start to the 2015 season, surrendering 13 home runs through his first 12 starts (after giving up just four homers in 22 games during the 2014 season). He showed signs of turning the season around in June, allowing no runs in back-to-back starts against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
and
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
. In the latter game on June 15, Sánchez threw a two-hit shutout in a 6–0 Tigers win. It was the seventh shutout of his career, and his first complete game since May 24, 2013. Sánchez allowed no walks, struck out seven, and faced just one batter over the minimum.
On August 20, Sánchez was placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his right
rotator cuff
The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...
. He would not return for the remainder of 2015. Prior to being placed on the DL, he posted a 10–10 record, with a 4.99 ERA in 25 starts, with only one
quality start over his last 10 starts. He surrendered a career-high 29 home runs, which also led the American League despite his shortened season.
2016
After compiling a 3–6 record and a 6.67 ERA in his first 11 starts, Sánchez was demoted to the Tiger bullpen following a May 31 start against the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
. Sanchez returned to the starting rotation on July 5 in Cleveland against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
throwing 4 innings and earning the loss. He pitched in the starting rotation for much of the remaining season, due to injuries to other Tiger starters. Sánchez struggled for a second straight season, posting a 7–13 record with an ERA of 5.87, while allowing 30 home runs, a new career high.
2017
Sánchez began the 2017 season in the Tigers bullpen, filling a long relief role. In his first 11 appearances of the year, Sánchez had a bad showing as his ERA bloated to 9.00. On May 22, he was demoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. The Tigers recalled Sánchez on June 18, and he made a start the next day against the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
. On August 18, he was placed on the 10-day DL with hamstring tightness after leaving the game in the third inning a day earlier. He became a free agent following the season.
Minnesota Twins
On February 20, 2018, Sánchez signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
that was conditional on making the club out of spring training. He was released by the Twins on March 11.
Atlanta Braves
On March 16, 2018, Sánchez signed a minor league contract with the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
. On April 2, Sánchez's contract was selected by the Braves. He landed on the disabled list on April 18 after suffering a hamstring injury. After missing more than a month, he was activated off the disabled list on May 29.
Sánchez had his best season, statistically, since 2013, finishing with a record of 7–6 with a 2.83 ERA in 24 starts. He became a free agent following the season.
Washington Nationals
Coming off a productive bounceback season with the Braves, Sánchez signed a $19 million two-year deal with the division rival
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
on December 27, 2018. The deal also includes a club option for the 2021 season. Sánchez earned his 100th career win on June 16, 2019, against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
In 2019 he was 11–8 with a 3.85 ERA in 30 starts, and led all NL pitchers in errors with four.
In Game 1 of the
2019 National League Championship Series against the
St. Louis Cardinals, Sánchez took a no-hitter into the 8th inning before allowing a pinch-hit single to
José Martínez with two outs. Sánchez became the 6th pitcher in MLB postseason history to carry a no-hit bid for at least innings. With teammate
Max Scherzer losing his bid for a no-hitter in the 7th inning the next day, Sánchez and Scherzer repeated a feat they accomplished in Games 1 and 2 of the
2013 American League Championship Series. No other pair of starting pitchers has ever held the same team hitless through the first five innings of consecutive postseason games; Sánchez and Scherzer have now done it twice.
In 2020 he was 4–5 with a 6.62 ERA.
He led the NL in earned runs allowed (39). He became a free agent after the season.
On February 23, 2021, it was reported that Sánchez had turned down "multiple" major league offers since he held a January showcase, stating that he was concerned over
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and the protocols that surround it. Although a report stated that Sánchez was planning to sign with a team in late April, Sánchez later stated in mid-July that he was no longer planning to pitch in 2021. Sánchez had received some major league offers, but none were at his desired level, as he was seeking an incentive-laden deal.
On March 13, 2022, Sánchez resigned a minor league deal with the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. On April 4, Sánchez had his contract purchased to the big league roster. However, he did not make his first scheduled start due to a neck issue and was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 3. He was activated on July 14 to start against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
. In 14 starts for Washington, Sánchez logged a 4-6 record and 4.28 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched.
On May 16, 2023, Sánchez announced his retirement from professional baseball via Instagram.
Pitching style
Sánchez throws five pitches, giving him a variety of weapons to use against right-handed and left-handed hitters. He throws a
four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...
in the 88–94 MPH range, a two-seam
sinker with similar velocity, a
slider in the mid-80s, a
changeup with strong tailing action in the 79–85 MPH range, and an occasional
curveball in the mid- to upper-70s Teammates
Max Scherzer and
Justin Verlander have both claimed in interviews that Sánchez actually throws two different changeups: the standard one in the 79–85 mph range, and a slower one in the mid-60s to low-70s that they call the "butterfly pitch". Aníbal is known for keeping hitters off-balance with his willingness to throw any pitch at any time in the count. Baseball writer Mike Axisa stated in 2013, "Rotation mates Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander overpower hitters. Sánchez confuses them."
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
Below is a list of Major League Baseball no-hitters, enumerating every no-hitter pitched in Major League Baseball history. The list also includes no-hit games that were broken up in extra innings or were in shortened games, although they have no ...
*
List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Anibal
1984 births
Living people
American League ERA champions
Atlanta Braves players
Carolina Mudcats players
Detroit Tigers players
Florida Marlins players
Gulf Coast Marlins players
Jacksonville Suns players
Jupiter Hammerheads players
Lakeland Flying Tigers players
Lowell Spinners players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
21st-century Venezuelan sportsmen
Miami Marlins players
Navegantes del Magallanes players
Baseball players from Maracay
Portland Sea Dogs players
Rochester Red Wings players
Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States
Washington Nationals players
Wilmington Blue Rocks players
World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela
2013 World Baseball Classic players