The young Yankees catcher has 12 passed balls this season, the most in the majors.
As Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez struggles behind the plate, general manager Brian Cashman thinks the 24-year-old’s added bulk is part of the problem.
“Defensively, he is not like he was last year, » Cashman told the New York Post . «He added eight to 12 pounds of muscle and his body fat stayed the same, but I don’ t think he has the flexibility.
“It was good intentions and bad results.’ ’
Sanchez has 12 passed balls this season, more than any other catcher in the majors.
“He is physically bigger but not fat,’ ’ Cashman said. “He has limited flexibility.’ ’
Sanchez wasn’t in the lineup Sunday and manager Joe Girardi made it clear the defensive struggles are the issue per ESPN’s Andrew Marchand:
«The message came from us verbally that, ‘Your defense needs to improve. That you need to get better. You need to work at it.’ We have stressed how important it is. There are certain situations that some people may not think that something that happens in the game affects the next game. It could if it leads to 10 extra pitches for a reliever.»
Sanchez has been a force at the plate, hitting 17 home runs with 52 RBI in 77 games. He had sky-high expectations entering the season after hitting 20 home runs in 53 games as a rookie in 2016.
Girardi also discussed the impact of Sanchez’s size as a factor in his defensive issues.
“Sometimes you can get too big, that’s possible, Girardi said, but added that “when I watch him do his drills, it doesn’ t affect him. To me, it’s just becoming more consistent in what he does.»
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