Jesus Sanchez’s evolution into a ‘complete hitter’ is key for Miami Marlins’ lineup
Jesus Sanchez has always had the potential to be a really good hitter. The Miami Marlins’ left-handed-hitting outfielder has the profile to hit for average and the power to be a double-digit home run producer.
But production never consistently materialized his first two years in the big leagues.
It’s finally starting to come now.
Sanchez enters Wednesday’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals hitting .287 with a .904 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, marks that rank third and second respectively among regulars in Miami’s lineup. More than half of his 27 hits have gone for extra bases (nine doubles, five home runs).
And he didn’t let a two-and-a-half week on the injured list with a hamstring strain slow him down, either.
Sanchez was in the midst of a 14-game stretch when he was hitting .390 with 10 extra-base hits when he came up lame after a diving catch in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds on May 13.
He returned to the action on May 30 and has been in the starting lineup each of the past six games. Sanchez has safely reached base in six of those eight games and has hit a pair of home runs, including a solo shot to open scoring in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 6-1 win over the Royals.
“He’s becoming a complete hitter,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said.
How so? Just look at the profile of Sanchez’s hits. Nineteen of his 27 hits, including eight of his nine doubles and two of his five home runs have gone opposite field.
“It’s not just pull-side slug,” Schumaker said. “It’s hitting the baseball the other way, making them come to his strengths. If they leave something over the middle, you see the power — the power is real — but young hitters get in trouble when they just try to keep hitting home runs. A lot of the major league hitters that are really good power hitters are good hitters first and then the power comes. He’s just a really good hitter. ... He’s becoming a complete hitter when he dictates what they do.”
Added Sanchez: “Yeah, I think it’s just my stronger ability right there, just hitting on the opposite side. ... What I always do is just try to hit like a righty sometimes, just hit opposite field.”
His production is vital for the middle of the Marlins’ lineup, especially with Jazz Chisholm Jr. still out while dealing with turf toe.
It gives Schumaker the ability to split up the few left-handed hitters he has available — second baseman Luis Arraez at the top, Sanchez in the middle third, shortstop Joey Wendle in the bottom third —in order to create matchup challenges for the opponent.
Sanchez has leaned on both the Marlins new hitting staff — hitting coach Brant Brown and assistant hitting coaches John Mabry and Jason Hart — as well as veteran first baseman Yuli Gurriel to improve the consistency of his approach. The results didn’t come at first, but now they have begun to figure things out.
“He earned these starts,” Schumaker said. “And it’s beginning to be tougher to get him out of the lineup, honestly. But that’s how this game works, right? You earn that position. He’s helped us win a lot of games so far.”
