Players / Player profile
MIL · C

Gary Sánchez

Age 33 B/T R/R 6′2″, 251 lb Dominican Republic MLB debut 2015
40-man
  • Free agent est. 1 yr × $2.7M ($1M–$6M) if his mutual option is declined
xwOBA .336 wOBA .338
2026 fWAR 0.8
Projected 2027 WAR 0.2 Keystone Marcel+ at 313 PA

Hitting · 2026

273 PA: percentiles need 300+, so values only

xwOBA .336 xwOBA: .336
Swing decisions +0.77 Swing decisions: +0.77
Contact value −0.29 Contact value: −0.29
Bat speed 71.3 Bat speed: 71.3
Squared-up / swing 23% Squared-up / swing: 23%
Blasts / swing 9% Blasts / swing: 9%
EV90 105.4 EV90: 105.4
Barrel % 8.4% Barrel %: 8.4%
Chase % 23.0% Chase %: 23.0%
Zone contact 81.6% Zone contact: 81.6%
Strikeout % 21.6% Strikeout %: 21.6%
Walk % 15.8% Walk %: 15.8%

Platoon splits · swing path

By pitcher handedness

vsPAwOBAxwOBAK%BB%ChaseDecisionsContact
LHP122.351.34318%16%25%+0.77+0.59
RHP151.327.33025%16%21%+0.78−0.92
Attack angle
11.0° (61% in 5–20°)
Attack direction
−3.5°
Swing length
7.2 ft
Fast-swing rate
20%
Pull-air %
16.2%
Hard-hit %
35.3%
Slash · wRC+
.209/.349/.422 · 117

Zone map · 2026

Where he does damage, and where to pitch him

+0.8+0.8+2.1+0.3−0.4+1.50.0−0.1+0.4+1.8−0.5+2.0−2.1+0.6+1.0−0.3−0.6+2.1−1.2+0.7+0.3+1.9+0.4−0.7+0.9RHB

Does the most damage down over the middle (+2.1 vs. league per 100; 1.0 standard errors on 80 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).

Weakest middle-middle (−2.1), but only 0.9 standard errors from average on 66 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.

Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average RHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 1,047 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).

Most similar hitters

Swings like Sánchez: bat path, contact quality and approach

SimilarityPlayerxwOBA’26 WAR’27 proj2027
62Bryan Reynolds PIT · ’95.3552.91.2Signed $15.3M
60Xander Bogaerts SD · ’92.3252.61.6Signed $25.5M
57Bryce Eldridge SF · ’04.3591.81.8Pre-arb
55Edouard Julien COL · ’99.340−0.8−0.6—
51Lane Thomas ATL · ’95.3120.70.2Free agent

Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.

Fielding

2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.

2027 rating by position · best fit first, on the total with the position’s worth
C −9.2 +3.3
1B −2.8prior −18.3
Outs Above Average by position
SeasonPosOAARangeArm, DPRunsBatters
20261B−2−2+0.6−1.4170
20241B+1+10.0+1.054

Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.

Range by direction (OAA at 1B)
2024 · 1B2026 · 1B In (charging) 0−1Back 00Toward 3B line 0−2Toward 1B line +10vs. RHH 0−2vs. LHH +1−1

At 1B in 2026, the biggest loss came toward 3B line (−2 outs): a coaching target.

Tools (percentile among MLB fielders)
Arm strength —
Sprint speed 24.5 ft/s · 3rd
Zone rating (Keystone expected outs)
SeasonZoneBallsOuts vs. exp.
Too few balls in his zone.

The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.

Compare in the Fielding Lab →

Contract & projection

Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR

2027 0.2 WAR Mutual option
2028 −0.2 WAR Free agent
2029 −0.7 WAR Free agent
2030 −1.0 WAR Free agent

His 2027 is a mutual option, decided ≈ Nov 1–5 (either side can decline it). The Free-Agent Board expects it declined, so it prices him as a free agent. Contract Studio →

Minor leagues

MLB Stats API · public box-score data

SeasonLevelLevelTeamAgeGPA / IPPA / IP ·Line
2025AAAAAANorfolk Tides321557 PA 57 PA · .367/.456/.755 · 6 HR · 19.3% K · 8.8% BB

ABS challenges · 2026

Baseball Savant

As batter 38% 14/37 won · +1.0 runs
As catcher 52% 34/65 won · +0.7 runs
Keystone is an independent portfolio project. It is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or any club. Data: MLB Stats API, Baseball Savant, FanGraphs. Used under their terms for individual, non-commercial use.