Isaac Sanchez

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2010
DSL:  1-0-0, 1.04 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 9.2 K/9 

Had outstanding debut that was cut short after three DSL games.

2011
DSL:  0-0-0, 16.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 1.2 IP, 10.8 BB/9, 5.4 K/9
R:  4-0-0, 4.06 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 31.0 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 5.8 K/9

Pitched one game in the DSL, then joined the GCL Pirates when their season started.  Was pitching well until a bad stretch in his last half dozen games raised his ERA from 1.52 to 4.06.  Had almost as many walks as strikeouts.

2012
R:  3-1-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 24.0 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 7.1 K/9
A-:  0-2-0, 13.50 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 9.0 BB/9, 4.5 K/9 

Sanchez spent most of 2012 in the GCL bullpen, where he pitched fairly well.  He didn’t allow many baserunners, but had just a decent K rate.  He moved up to State College late in the year and made three relief appearances.  He struggled badly in two of them, blowing late-inning leads in both games.

2013
A-:  1-1-0, 3.45 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 57.1 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 7.4 K/9

Sanchez spent the season in the Jamestown rotation.  He pitched fairly well overall, but was erratic, especially with his control.  For some reason, he struggled with right-handed hitters, who hit 287/378/404 against him.  He stifled lefties to the tune of 165/272/253.

2014
A:  3-4-6, 4.45 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 56.2 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

The Pirates moved Sanchez up to West Virginia, where he spent the season pitching out of the bullpen.  He had a good first half, with an ERA of 3.10, WHIP of 1.17 and opponents’ average of .218.  In the second half, though, those numbers ballooned to 5.86, 1.73 and .322, respectively.  The main problem was a horrific July, when opponents torched him for a 1.332 OPS; his second worse month, not counting one September outing, was .686 in April.  Overall, Sanchez had no platoon split.

2015
R:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 1.0 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 0.0 K/9
A+:  2-3-3, 2.71 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 66.1 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

Apart from a brief rehab from a minor injury, Sanchez spent the season in the Bradenton bullpen.  He put up solid rather than outstanding numbers, with a low K rate.  He dominated left-handed hitters, holding them to a .490 OPS, while right-handed hitters posted a .669 OPS against him.

Sanchez will spend all of 2016 at age 23, but he’s eligible for the Rule 5 draft for the second time.  He’s likely to be at Altoona.