Anibal Sanchez

Lore & Background

Sánchez was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an international free agent in 2001. After playing in the Venezuelan Summer League for two seasons, he suffered an elbow injury that required surgery to move his elbow ligament, causing him to miss the entire 2003 season. In 2004, he made his debut on American soil with the short-season Single-A Lowell Spinners. At the end of the 2005 season, Boston traded Sánchez along with Hanley Ramírez, Jesús Delgado, and Harvey García to the Florida Marlins. He made his MLB debut on June 25, 2006, against the New York Yankees. On September 6, 2006, he no-hit the Arizona Diamondbacks 2–0 at Dolphin Stadium. He finished his first season with a 10–3 record and a 2.83 ERA. In 2007, he suffered a torn labrum and had surgery. He returned in 2008. In 2010, he set a career high in wins with 13. On July 23, 2012, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. In 12 starts for the Tigers, he went 4–6 with a 3.74 ERA. In the 2012 postseason, he went 1–2 with a 1.77 ERA. On December 14, 2012, he agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract to remain with the Tigers. On April 26, 2013, he set a Detroit Tigers franchise record with 17 strikeouts in a game.

In Their Own Story

The lights at Comerica Park hummed their low, electric buzz. It was a Tuesday in September, 2012, and the Tigers were up two games to one in the ALCS. Sanchez walked to the mound, adjusted his cap, and stared at the short porch in right field. Behind him, the bullpen was gassed. Verlander had just thrown his best postseason start ever. Porcello was in the rotation next. Sanchez knew his job: seven innings, no drama, keep the score low enough that the bats could do the rest. He settled into his windup, the short leg kick barely lifting off the dirt, and fired a sinker that buried itself in the dirt in front of the plate. The catcher popped it up. Sanchez exhaled. Seven more innings. He could do this. He had always been able to do this.

Reader's Guide

The source does not specify Sánchez's throwing arm. It describes him as a pitcher but does not state whether he is left-handed or right-handed. The source also does not provide a detailed scouting report on his pitches.

Did You Know?

• Sánchez pitched a no-hitter on September 6, 2006, against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
• He set a Detroit Tigers franchise record with 17 strikeouts in a game on April 26, 2013.
• Sánchez was one of five Marlins pitchers to record ten or more wins in 2006, a franchise first.