While Gary Sanchez has faced a handful of injuries during his short Yankees career, currently sitting on the 10-day I.L. and having only played 89 games last season, some of those departures from the starting nine was due to lack of performance.
Austin Romine, the clear backup to Sanchez, posted the best numbers of his career in The Kraken’s absence.
Nevertheless, Sanchez remains the Yankee starter and for good reason. A .299 BA and 20 home runs in just 53 games his rookie year, followed by a .278/.345/.531 season with 33 homers catapulted Sanchez to the top of the MLB’s list of top backstops.