Brett Gardner had a front row seat when Gary Sanchez burst onto the scene in 2016, blasting 20 home runs in 53 games to finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting despite playing less than a third of the season.
Sanchez almost helped propel the 2016 Yanks back into contention for a playoff spot, and with this year’s Bombers looking for a similar jolt, Sanchez’s longtime teammate has not forgotten what the 28-year-old is capable of doing after another multi-hit game on Tuesday night.
“I’ve said it for the last three years, I think Gary is one of the most talented right handed hitters in the game,” Gardner said after Tuesday’s win in Minnesota. “I know last year didn’t go his way and the results early on this year may not have been exactly what he’s looking for, but he’s very, very talented on both sides of the ball. He’s a big part of our team. He’s a guy that when he gets going and is right at the plate, he can carry your team. We’ve seen it before in the past, and I see no reason to believe that he can’t continue to do that moving forward.”
Sanchez has looked much closer to his 2016 and 2017 self in recent weeks. After slashing .174/.302/.339 over his first 33 games, he has picked things up over his last 11, hitting .353 with two home runs and a 1.054 OPS. His hot streak continued on Tuesday with a big home run to give the Yanks some insurance in the top of the ninth to help secure a much-needed win.
Thanks to Sanchez, the Yanks hope Tuesday was a back-on-track victory, but Sanchez himself has looked to be on that course for the past two weeks, and him staying in that zone would be a massive boost for a lineup in desperate need of a spark, though Sanchez isn’t looking to do it on his own.
“It’s nice to hear that from Gardy,” Sanchez said. “But like I said before, I can’t carry the team myself. It doesn’t work like that. That’s why we’re a team. Each of us has the responsibility to push forward together.”
The start to Sanchez’s season was watched with particular scrutiny given his brutal 2020 season, and after a slow start, Kyle Higashioka began to see more time behind the plate, even when Gerrit Cole wasn’t on the mound. But Sanchez is starting to find his stroke while Higashioka is slashing just .118/.211/.216 over his last 18 games, opening the door for more playing time for the Opening Day starting catcher.
“He’s never wavered in his confidence,” Aaron Boone said. “His work has been excellent on both sides of the ball…he’s got a long way to go still, as a lot of us do to get to where we need to go, but without question over the last few weeks it’s been more all-around consistency for Gary…Pitch selection has been good, he’s quieted down his lower half and has worked really hard to make an adjustment over the last three or four weeks, and we’re seeing results.”
Even Sanchez’s outs have been encouraging, like Tuesday’s 112 mph lineout in the fourth inning. The Yanks have been hoping for a return to form from many of their established sluggers, but Sanchez, who presents some of the greatest upside in the lineup, could be the biggest boost for a lineup that has been on life support since Opening Day.
“There’s so many things you think about when you’re struggling at the plate and things aren’t working out, but at the same time you understand that the only way out is to keep working and never give up,” Sanchez said. “That’s what I’m focused on and I’m glad things have been working out.”
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