Better late than never for Ali Sanchez.
Six years after making his major league debut, the Yankee catcher finally has his first career home run, and it was a big one. With the depleted Yankees desperately needing some offense and caught in a tight 6-4 battle in the eighth inning, Sanchez yanked a three-run blast to left field, giving the Bombers some much-needed breathing room in a 9-5 win to open the four-game series in Chicago.
Sanchez pumped his fist as he rounded first base, finding the home run column at long last. The 29-year-old entered the night with 180 plate appearances on his resume across 74 career games.
An international draft signing by the Mets, Sanchez made his big-league debut in 2020, but was designated for assignment and ultimately picked up by the Cardinals, where he played in just two games in 2021. That was his last taste of the majors until 2024, as he spent three years signing minor league deals and enduring several DFAs on his way to the Marlins in 2024. There, he played in a career-high 31 games before splitting time with the Blue Jays and Red Sox in 2025. The Yankees signed him in December of 2025.
Fortunately for Sanchez, the Yanks were able to secure his first home run ball (according to Newsday's Erik Boland), meaning he will get the keepsake he had been chasing for over half a decade.
The Yankee catcher went deep for the first time, having made his MLB debut in 2020.
The Yankee catcher went deep for the first time, having made his MLB debut in 2020.
