Aaron Sanchez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #2 prospect in 2015
  One of the youngest pitchers in the 2010 draft, Sanchez has moved quickly. He threw a career-high 133 innings and finished in Toronto's bullpen. He has the stuff, body and athleticism to pitch in the front half of a rotation if he throws more strikes or profiles as a dynamic late-game reliever if he doesn't. His control took a significant step forward in the second half of 2014. Sanchez produces premium velocity with an effortless delivery and loose, quick and easy arm action as the ball explodes from his hand. His fastball sits 92-96 in the rotation, touching 98. Working out of the major league bullpen, Sanchez's fastball averaged 97 and touched 99. His two-seamer has plus-plus life with bat-breaking armside run and sink. His curveball is at least a plus offering and flashes plus-plus. Sanchez's changeup, long his third pitch, improved this season and gives him a third plus weapon. After moving across three levels in 2014, Sanchez will likely begin 2014 in the Triple-A rotation and could impact the big leagues later in the year in the rotation or out of the pen.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #1 prospect in 2014
  One of the youngest players in the 2010 draft, Sanchez was the 34th overall pick and signed for a below-slot $775,000 bonus. He paid immediate dividends, as just months after the draft in instructional league, his velocity jumped from 93-94 mph to 97. An above-average athlete, the 6-foot-4 Sanchez has long limbs and a wiry, angular build that will accommodate additional strength gains. Toronto has been careful with his workload, and Sanchez was limited to 22 games and 86 innings in the 2013 regular season after missing more than a month with shoulder discomfort. He started six times in the Arizona Fall League and had the second-highest strikeout rate (24 percent) of any pitcher with more than 20 innings, showcasing his potential. Sanchez has standout stuff and is lauded as an intelligent student of the game with a quiet aggression on the mound. His heavy fastball can sit 93-98 mph with plus life. It explodes out of his hand with smooth and effortless arm action. He throws a four-seamer with above-average cutting action to his glove side and increased the use of a two-seamer to his arm side. Sanchez induces groundballs at a high rate, as his 2.34 groundout/airout ratio was the second-best mark of any high Class A Florida State League pitcher with 80 or more innings. His curveball has plus potential with tilt and depth. TrackMan data from the AFL indicated his breaker's spin rate is 21 percent higher than the major league average. Sanchez has a tendency to get on the side on the pitch, creating slider tilt and a large velocity discrepancy. His changeup is currently an average offering but has plus potential with late tumble and fade. Despite his easy arm action, Sanchez has posted below-average control numbers. His delivery underwent a transformation this season, as he had a tendency to miss up and arm side, getting under his pitches. The organization shortened his stride length in order to have him work over the ball more with greater downhill plane. This made his arm action more compact and consistent. If he can maintain his plane to the plate, Sanchez could increase his stride length. He cut his walk rate (11.1 percent) in 2013, but it was still 31 percent higher than the FSL average. He walked more hitters (14.3 percent) out of the stretch than he struck out (13.6 percent) in 2013. In his 20 healthy regular season starts, he averaged just more than four innings per outing. To reach his ceiling as a No. 2 starter, Sanchez will have to improve his control and increase his workload. But few pitchers in the minors can match his ceiling and pure talent. If he can't show the control to start, he has the stuff to become a high-leverage reliever. He likely will start 2014 at Double-A New Hampshire.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #3 prospect in 2013
  With his lanky frame and long limbs, Sanchez drew comparisons to Orel Hershiser on the high school showcase circuit in 2009. The Blue Jays were excited to get him with the 34th overall pick the following June and signed him for a below-slot $775,000. Toronto generally handles its young arms with caution, and has limited Sanchez to 170 innings in three pro seasons. He has the best stuff in the system and some of the best in the entire minors. His quick arm generates fastballs that range from 94-98 mph with little effort. His curveball has tight spin and gives him a second plus pitch, and even his changeup features effective late movement. There's still projection remaining in his body as well. The knock against Sanchez is his command. He has averaged five walks per nine innings as a pro, and he has gotten many of his strikeouts when lower-level hitters have chased pitches out of the zone. Even if he doesn't add any strength, Sanchez has enough stuff to succeed at higher levels. More advanced hitters will force him to throw more strikes, but he won't need pinpoint command to pitch in the front half of a big league rotation. He'll advance to high Class A in 2013.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #6 prospect in 2012
  Sanchez drew Orel Hershiser comparisons while starring at the Area Code Games and Aflac All-American Game in the summer of 2009, looking like he was setting the stage to go in the first round of the 2010 draft. The Blue Jays were excited he lasted until the 34th overall pick, and they signed him for a below-slot $775,000. Toronto has handled him cautiously, limiting him to 25 innings in 10 starts in 2010 and 55 innings in 14 outings in 2011. Sanchez offers plenty of projection with his 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame, and he has present stuff to go with it. His fast arm generates fastballs that sit in the low 90s and touch 95. He adds in a high-70s curveball that has crisp rotation when it's on. He shows feel for a changeup, though it needs refinement. Sanchez's numbers don't jump out because his command has been inconsistent. He took a step forward in his short time with Vancouver by working with pitching coach Jim Czajkowski to speed up his delivery and make an adjustment with his back foot. If he does a better job of locating his pitches, Sanchez can become a frontline starter. He'll make it to full-season ball and get a longer leash in 2012, when he's ticketed for Lansing.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #10 prospect in 2011
  Sanchez projected as a possible first-round pick after starring on the showcase circuit in the summer of 2009, and the Blue Jays were delighted to get him with the No. 34 overall choice in June. After signing for $775,000, he pitched well in 10 pro starts, though Toronto kept him on a tight pitch limit that prevented him from earning his first pro victory. Scouts love Sanchez's prototypical, projectable frame. He has long, loose limbs with wiry strength and plenty of room to add more. There's plenty of reason to think that he'll add more velocity as he fills out, and it already has started to happen. His fastball worked at 89-92 mph in the spring, sat in the low 90s during his pro debut and touched 95 during instructional league. Sanchez is able to spin a breaking ball and flashes a plus curveball. His changeup is a work in progress right now, as he throws it a little too hard, but he has shown some feel for the pitch. A wandering arm slot affected his command in high school and pro ball, so repeating his delivery will be important. Sanchez created a lot of buzz at instructs, and the Jays are excited about his potential as a frontline starter. He'll likely begin his first full pro season in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Eastern League #5 prospect in 2014
  Sanchez's arm and stuff always have been electric. His struggles have stemmed from an inability to harness his control. He didn't solve that problem at New Hampshire or Triple-A Buffalo this season, but something clicked once he moved to the bullpen in Toronto, where he poured in the strikes and generated an absurd groundball rate of roughly two-thirds of all batted balls. The Blue Jays shortened Sanchez's stride in an effort to help him iron out his command issues, but that didn't take and he still walked more than five hitters per nine innings in two stops in the minors. The Blue Jays still view Sanchez as a potential frontline starter, regardless of his bullpen success. Sanchez's arsenal includes a fastball that reaches as high as 97 mph, a power curveball and an above-average changeup. He can overthrow at times and will rush his delivery, both of which play a role in his wandering command. If he makes those fixes, he could be dominant.
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  Ranked Florida State League #10 prospect in 2013
  Selected four spots ahead of Syndergaard in the same Blue Jays draft, Sanchez rivals his former teammate for pure fastball goodness. Sanchez?s long legs, loose arm and athleticism help produce electric heat in the 94-97 mph range. His fastball has late life, and he threw more strikes with it as the year went on, gaining confidence along the way. His power breaking ball gives him a second plus pitch. He throws a 1-to-7 curveball with power, usually in the 78-82 mph range but at times harder, with excellent rotation and bite. ?I?ve sat with scouts who thought we taught him a slider,? Blue Jays pitching coordinator Dane Johnson said, ?but that?s just his curve. It has real power behind it.? Sanchez?s changeup lags behind as a third pitch, but he won?t need it much if he continues to improve his control as he did this year. He reduced his walk rate by nearly a full batter per nine innings, dropping from 5.1 last year to 4.2 in 2013. Still, Sanchez must throw more strikes and go deeper into games more consistently?he was on a 90-pitch limit this season?to fulfill his frontline starter potential.
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  Ranked Midwest League #6 prospect in 2012
  The only MWL pitcher with raw stuff to match Bradley's, Sanchez still is figuring out how to harness it. He owns a pair of plus pitches in his 93-98 mph fastball and his tight 12-to-6 curveball, and his arm speed and sink on his changeup give it a chance to become an average offering. "With his easy delivery and arm action, it looks like the kid is playing catch on the mound," a third AL scout said. "The first pitch I saw was 97 and there was no effort at all to what he was doing." While Sanchez got low Class A hitters to chase a lot of pitches out of the zone, he'll need to improve his command at higher levels. He's very athletic and projectable, though he could use more deception in his delivery.
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  Ranked American League #12 prospect in 2011
  The Blue Jays drafted Sanchez four picks ahead of Syndergaard in the sandwich round of the 2010 draft, then held them both in extended spring training this season before unleashing them on the Appy League in late June. While Syndergaard made a greater impression on managers, Sanchez cuts a similar profile as a tall, power-armed righty with present inconsistent secondary stuff. Sanchez brings steady 91-93 mph fastball velocity into each start, topping out near 95, and he competes well. His high-70s curveball features crisp rotation and power when he commands it, though his changeup needs significant refinement. Like Syndergaard, he was promoted long before Bluefield played its first playoff game as a Toronto affiliate. Sanchez walked just five batters in his final 22 Appy innings, though shaky control undermined his overall performance. He struggles to repeat his release point because of excess motion in his delivery.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #27 prospect in 2015
• Ranked Baseball America's #32 prospect in 2014
• Ranked Baseball America's #65 prospect in 2013

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: With his lanky frame and long limbs, Sanchez drew comparisons to Orel Hershiser on the high school showcase circuit in 2009. The Blue Jays were excited to get him with the 34th overall pick the following June and signed him for a below-slot $775,000. Toronto has handled its young arms with caution, limiting him to just 170 innings in three pro seasons. Scouting Report: Sanchez has the best stuff in the system and some of the best in the entire minors. His quick arm generates fastballs that range from 94-98 mph with little effort. His curveball has tight spin and gives him a second plus pitch, and even his changeup features effective late movement. There's still projection remaining in his body as well. The knock against Sanchez is his command. He has averaged 5.0 walks per nine innings as a pro, and he has gotten many of his strikeouts when lower-level hitters have chased pitches out of the zone. The Future: Even if he doesn't add any strength, Sanchez has enough stuff to succeed at higher levels. More advanced hitters will force him to throw more strikes, but he won't need pinpoint command to pitch in the front half of a big league rotation. He'll advance to high Class A in 2013.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Sanchez drew Orel Hershiser comparisons while starring at the Area Code Games and Aflac all-star game in the summer of 2009, looking like he was setting the stage to go in the first round of the 2010 draft. The Jays were glad he lasted until the 34th overall pick, and they signed him for a below-slot $775,000. Toronto has handled him cautiously, limiting him to 25 innings in 10 starts in 2010 and 54 innings in 14 outings in 2011. Scouting Report: Sanchez offers plenty of projection with his 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame, and he has present stuff to go with it. His fast arm generates fastballs that sit in the low 90s and touch 95. He adds in a high-70s curveball that has crisp rotation when it's on. He shows feel for a changeup, though it needs refinement. Sanchez's numbers don't jump out because his command has been inconsistent. He took a step forward in his short time with Vancouver by working with pitching coach Jim Czajkowski to speed up his delivery and make an adjustment with his back foot. The Future: If he does a better job of locating his pitches, Sanchez can become a frontline starter. He'll make it to full-season ball and get a longer leash in 2012, when he's ticketed for Lansing.