Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez's average sinker velocity last year was at 94.5 mph, but he sat at 96 to 99 mph with the pitch in his first start this spring thanks to added weight on his 6-foot-5 frame, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Sanchez was an All-Star in 2024 and posted a 3.32 ERA in 181 2/3 innings, and Passan thinks the 28-year-old southpaw could just be getting started as one of the best lefties in the game. The Phillies' starting rotation is downright scary with Sanchez joining a group that includes Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo. Sanchez was a fantasy sleeper heading into last season, and although more people know about him now, he's still undervalued. He had a below-average strikeout rate (20.3%), but he made up for it with a 5.8% walk rate and elite 57.4% ground-ball rate. Sanchez is absolutely worth taking as your No. 4 fantasy starting pitcher.
Cristopher Sanchez Gets The Nod For Game 2 Of NLDS
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that left-hander Cristopher Sanchez will take the ball and start Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park against the division-rival New York Mets. Right-hander Zack Wheeler will go in Game 1 on Saturday, with the Phillies saving right-hander Aaron Nola for Game 3 on the road at Citi Field on Tuesday. Sanchez had a 2.21 ERA at home this year, compared to a rough 5.02 ERA on the road. Overall, the 27-year-old Dominican southpaw went 11-9 for the Phils with a 3.32 ERA (3.00 FIP), a 1.24 WHIP and a 153:44 K:BB in 181 2/3 innings over 31 starts to become a first-time All-Star in 2024. Sanchez faced the Mets three times this year, going 1-0 with a 3.06 ERA (six earned runs allowed in 17 2/3 innings) while striking out 19 and walking nine batters. With an off day in the series on Monday, the Phillies will have a short leash with Sanchez if he gets off to a rough start on Sunday.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez had his way with the New York Mets on Sunday, allowing just one run over seven innings in a 2-1 win. Sanchez allowed six hits and a walk while punching out seven in this one. The lefty has now allowed three or fewer runs in his last six starts, five of which have been quality starts. While he has been consistent lately and is a must-start pitcher, Sanchez remains a candidate for an occasional blow-up start, making him a frustrating pitcher for fantasy purposes. On the whole, he's put together a very solid season and should be considered a solid third or fourth option for fantasy managers heading into next year.
Cristopher Sanchez Tosses Complete Game On Saturday
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez tossed a complete game on Saturday to lead the Phillies to a victory. The southpaw allowed just two hits and one earned run while striking out four. This was a nice bounce back for the 27-year-old as he served up seven earned runs in his previous outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since July 4, Sanchez has struggled to find consistency as he sports a 6.63 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP through 38 innings of work. Overall, Sanchez sits with a 3.46 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 34:108 BB:K ratio. Under the hood, he carries an excellent 59.1% ground ball rate and a 5.1% barrel rate, which suggests he should have a nice end to the campaign. Sanchez is slated to face the Kansas City Royals next week and should remain in all standard lineups going forward.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez had a rough outing on Sunday, allowing seven runs in 4 IP while taking the loss in a 12-5 route. Sanchez was smacked around good in this one, allowing 12 hits. He also walked two and struck out four. After a terrific first half where he made the All-Star Game, Sanchez has regressed quickly. He has allowed 19 runs in 28 IP (6.11 ERA) and has given up a whopping 41 hits. The 27-year-old could be leaving his pitches over the heart of the plate more, or his stuff might not have the pizazz it had earlier in the season. Either way, he should be sat in most fantasy leagues right now and can be looked at as a drop option in shallower formats.
Coming off his best start of his career, Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez got crushed on Thursday versus the Chicago Cubs. Sanchez tossed four innings and allowed seven hits, seven runs, three walks and had three strikeouts on the afternoon. Six of his runs came off the bat of Ian Happ, who hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning and followed that up with another three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Sanchez was pulled after allowing back-to-back singles to open the frame. The home run was only the second allowed by Sanchez on the year, but it was damaging. Sanchez has been a solid contributor this season, but his lack of strikeouts have made him vulnerable when he gets hit around. Overall, Sanchez is a good back-of-the-rotation member in deeper mixed leagues but will be a tough sell when he faces the Los Angeles Dodgers in his next start.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez (6-3) hurled a complete game shutout Friday in a 2-0 win versus the Miami Marlins with nine strikeouts while allowing three hits (only singles) and no walks on the evening. Along with his first career complete-game shutout Sanchez has been incredible as of late. He accrued a 2.03 ERA in May and followed that up with a 1.61 ERA in June. The two months combined have lowered his season ERA from 3.68 to 2.41 on the season and now lies sixth in the league in the category. The southpaw will look to roll over his dominance to July with a matchup against the Chicago Cubs next week.
Cristopher Sanchez Spins Shutout With Nine Strikeouts
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez struck out nine batters in a complete-game shutout at home against the division-rival Miami Marlins on Friday night, picking up his sixth win of the year. Sanchez was brilliant on Friday, striking out Marlins first baseman Josh Bell to complete his three-hit shutout in the ninth inning and secure the Phillies' 2-0 win against the Marlins. Over his last 10 starts, the 27-year-old Dominican left-hander is 5-0 with an amazing 1.83 ERA and 50:11 K:BB in 64 innings out of Philly's rotation during this stretch. Fantasy managers should feel confident about deploying Sanchez in his next projected appearance at Wrigley Field on Thursday against the struggling Chicago Cubs.
Cristopher Sanchez Tosses Seven Scoreless In Sunday's Win
Philadelphia Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez scattered three hits across seven scoreless innings during Sunday's 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He struck out four batters without issuing a walk. It was the eighth quality start of the season for the 27-year-old and improved his record to 5-3. He now owns a 2.67 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 70:24 K:BB through 84 1/3 innings. Most impressively, Sanchez has only allowed one home run in his 15 starts. He is a top-50 fantasy starter heading into a promising matchup against the Miami Marlins next week.
The Philadelphia Phillies and left-hander Cristopher Sanchez finalized a four-year contract extension on Saturday that includes option years to buy out his arbitration years. The deal gives the Phillies additional control. The 27-year-old southpaw wouldn't have been eligible for arbitration until 2026 after being in Triple-A last year. In his four season in the big leagues in 2024, Sanchez is having his best year, going 4-3 with a 2.91 ERA (2.54 FIP) and 1.36 WHIP with 66 strikeouts and 24 walks in 77 1/3 innings pitched over his 14 starts. Fantasy managers probably wouldn't mind more punchouts -- he only has a 20.3% strikeout rate after posting a career-high 24.2% strikeout rate last year -- but you can't really argue with the results to this point. Sanchez is now in Philly for the long haul.
Cristopher Sánchez
• SP
•
Phillies
