Anibal Sanchez

Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez Jr. (born February 27, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He debuted in Major League Baseball in 2006 with the Florida Marlins and later played for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, and Washington Nationals. In his 13th big-league start, on September 6, 2006, he no-hit the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Sánchez originally signed with the Boston Red Sox as an international free agent in 2001. After two seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League, he had elbow ligament surgery and missed all of 2003. He returned in 2004 with the short-season Single-A Lowell Spinners, going 3–4 with a 1.77 ERA in 15 starts, and was considered one of Boston’s top pitching prospects. Baseball America ranked him the fifth-best prospect in the system after the season, behind Hanley Ramírez, Brandon Moss, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jon Lester. In 2005, he started at High-A Wilmington, posting a 6–1 record and a 2.40 ERA, made the All-Star Futures Game and the Carolina League All-Star team, and was promoted to Double-A Portland. There he started hot but tired late, finishing with a 3.45 ERA over 11 starts at age 21.

After the 2005 season, Boston traded Sánchez, Ramírez, Jesús Delgado, and Harvey García to the Florida Marlins for Josh Beckett, Guillermo Mota, and Mike Lowell. Baseball America ranked Sánchez third in the Marlins system and 40th overall in the majors entering 2006. The Marlins started six rookies on Opening Day but sent Sánchez back to Double-A with the Carolina Mudcats. He went 3–6 with a 3.15 ERA in 15 starts there, including two complete games and a seven-hit shutout. Called up on June 25, he debuted in the second game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, allowing seven hits and no runs in five innings as the Marlins shut out the Yankees 5–0. He became only the second visiting starter in a decade to win his big-league debut at Yankee Stadium. On July 14, the 22-year-old beat Roger Clemens, who had debuted when Sánchez was three months old.

On September 6, Sánchez no-hit the Diamondbacks 2–0 at Dolphin Stadium, walking four and striking out six on 103 pitches. The Marlins used six rookies in that game, a record for a no-hitter’s winning team. It was the first no-hitter since Randy Johnson’s perfect game in May 2004. On September 27, Sánchez earned his tenth win, joining teammates Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen, and Ricky Nolasco as the first set of four rookie teammates in MLB history to each win ten games. With Dontrelle Willis at 12–12, the Marlins had their first five pitchers with ten or more wins in franchise history. Sánchez finished his rookie season 10–3 with a 2.83 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). Before a game on September 30, the Marlins gave him the pitching rubber and home plate from his no-hitter, and Miami-Dade County declared September 30, 2006, Aníbal Sánchez Day.

In 2007, shoulder problems in spring training limited him to six starts (2–1, 4.80 ERA) before he was demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque on May 4. On June 21, it was announced his season was over after Dr. James Andrews repaired a torn labrum. He returned on July 31, 2008, pitching 5⅔ innings against the Colorado Rockies, allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts, and earned his first win of the season in a 12–2 Marlins victory. In 2009, he made only 16 starts but improved, finishing with a 3.87 ERA and career-best marks in WHIP and opponent batting average.