Rookie Gary Sanchez is Helping the Yankees Stay in Wild Card Race

The New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 11-5 on September 21st to stay 2 ½ games back in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot. The Yankees probably didn’t expect to be this close to a post season berth after dealing some veterans for prospects before the trading deadline, but here they are thanks in part to rookie catcher Gary Sanchez.

Sanchez, 23, belted two home runs in that 11-5 win over the Rays. He was three for four at the plate with five runs batted in. In 43 games this year, Sanchez is hitting .337 with 19 homers and 38 RBIs, an OPS of 1.157 and a slugging percentage of .747. He has eight homers in his last 12 games, and the most homers ever through the first 45 games of a career (Sanchez played in two games in 2015, and was 0-2 at the plate).

In 636 career minor league games, Sanchez hit .275 with 99 homers and 428 RBIs. This season, splitting time between Double A Trenton and Triple A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, he had 18 homers and 62 RBIs and hit .274 in 93 games before being called up. Time will tell if Sanchez will prove to be the next great Yankees slugger, or if the league’s pitchers will figure him out as they see him more.