The Yankees are still searching for a new identity in the post-Jeter era, and the arrival of Gary Sanchez last August certainly got people talking.
After Sanchez burst on the scene with a historic stretch at the plate over the season’s final two months following his call-up from the minors, the 24-year-old phenom will now try to do the impossible: Do it again.
Sanchez finished with 20 homers in 229 plate appearances over 53 games following his arrival to the majors on Aug. 3, and he will head to spring training in Tampa next month expected to be in the middle of the order.
“It was a good season for me, but that’s in the past now,” Sanchez said through an interpreter on Monday. “We have to focus on the upcoming season and hopefully make the playoffs.”
For that to happen, Sanchez can’t afford much of a letdown.
“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Sanchez said. “I’ve got to keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing and just play baseball, what I know to do.”
While no one expects Sanchez to resume his torrid pace of homers, there’s no guarantee he can succeed over the course of his first full season as a big leaguer, which is what the Yankees believe he can do — especially in the wake of trading Brian McCann to Houston this offseason.
“During the baseball season, there’s highs and lows,” Sanchez said. “You’ve got to go through all that. As a baseball player, that’s something you understand. You’ve got to keep your head high and hopefully be consistent.”
Sanchez tailed off during the final two weeks of 2016. After homering twice on Sept. 21 to finish an incredible four-game stretch in which he hit five homers, Sanchez went deep just once the rest of the season. In his last 41 plate appearances, he had just four hits and struck out 13 times.
Asked how this offseason was different from previous ones, Sanchez said he did the “same thing” and expects to show up at spring training “ready to play.”
Last week, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he had high hopes for Sanchez in 2017, and wasn’t worried Sanchez’s past work ethic issues could arise again.
Sanchez holds 2-year-old Allison, with her grandfather David RodriguezCharles Wenzelberg“That’s been behind him for two years,” Cashman said. “That would be new. If there’s something unexpected, we’ll deal with it. But we haven’t seen that. … He’s earned the right to be our starting catcher.”
Sanchez spent part of his Monday making sandwiches for customers at the Bullpen Deli near Yankee Stadium as part of the team’s Winter Warm-Up, which will feature a number of Yankees appearing throughout the city this week. Sanchez also drew a crowd over the weekend in New Jersey, where he signed autographs for fans.
The likely new face of the team insisted the attention doesn’t affect him.
“I don’t feel any pressure on field or off field,” Sanchez said.
The Yankees signed free-agent first baseman Ji-Man Choi to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training. The move gives the Yankees more depth after the retirement of Mark Teixeira. Greg Bird and Tyler Austin are expected to compete for playing time at first base.
Choi, 25, was designated for assignment by the Angels and opted for free agency. He made his major league debut with the Angels in 2016 after parts of five seasons in the minors, and had five homers and a .611 OPS in 129 plate appearances.
