Phillies Official Site · 4 days ago
How can Sánchez overcome 2026 struggles with sinker?
Sánchez’s sinker -- the left-hander’s only fastball -- was also one of the best pitches in the Major Leagues. By pitching run value, which takes into account runners on base, outs and ball/strike count, it was even better than Sánchez’s nasty changeup. Both pitches ranked in the top 15 in MLB.
But even though Sánchez’s changeup was as good as ever in 2026, his sinker was hit concerningly hard. Opponents batted .331 (119-for-360) against the pitch with a .483 slugging percentage, numbers similar to Sánchez’s first All-Star season in 2024 (.345 BA, .481 SLG). In 2025, by comparison, Sánchez held opponents to a .269 average and .342 slugging percentage on his sinker.