Sixto Sánchez

Sixto Sánchez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut August 22, 2020

• Born July 29, 1998 in San Cristobal, San Cristobal D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Sixto Sánchez was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2015 season. He made his pro debut that year as a 16-year-old playing for the DSL Phillies and going 1-2, 4.56 in 11 games. In 2016, he made it to the GCL Phillies where he was 5-0, 0.50 in 11 starts as one of the youngest players in the U.S.-based minor leagues. That put him squarely on the prospect radar, and in 2017 he continued to impress, starting off the year by going 5-3, 2.41 in 13 starts for the Lakewood Blue Claws of the South Atlantic League in his first experience of full-season ball. He was then promoted to the Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League where he - unsurprisingly - found the going tougher. A good 5 years younger than the average player in the league, he was 0-4, 4.55 in 5 starts. He returned to Clearwater in 2018 and while he was limited to 8 starts, he aced the level, going 4-3, 2.51.

He was named the Phillies' top prospect after the 2018 season, and made mlb.com's list of 100 names to watch in 2019, standing at number 27. It was thus no surprise that when the Phillies began speaking to the Miami Marlins about acquiring All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto, Miami insisted on Sixto being part of the package. The Phils hesitated, but on February 7, 2019 decided to bite the bullet, sending him, C Jorge Alfaro and fellow pitching prospect Will Stewart to Miami to complete the trade. The Marlins also received $250,000 in international bonus slot money. He started the year in Florida with the Jupiter Hammerheads but was quickly promoted to the AA Southern League, with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He was named to the roster of the National League team for the 2019 Futures Game. His combined record was 8-6, 2.76 in 20 starts.

In 2020, he started the season at the Marlins' alternative training site, then was called up to make his debut on August 22nd, starting against the Washington Nationals. His first pitch was clocked at 98.4 mph, and he hit 100 mph on the radar gun later that night. He gave up 3 runs in 5 innings and received credit for Miami's 5-3 win. He went 3-2, 3.46 in 7 starts. In spite of relatively limited action, he finished seventh in the voting for the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award. He started Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs on October 2nd, allowing no runs in 5 innings in a game the Marlins eventually won, 2-0. He started another game on October 8th against the Atlanta Braves, but it did not go as well as he allowed 4 runs in 3 innings and was charged with Miami's 7-0 loss.

That postseason start turned out to be his last major league game in a long time. He was sidelined by a shoulder ailment during spring training in 2021 and ended up not pitching at all either that year or in 2022. he underwent a couple of operations on his shoulder during the two years. The prolonged inactivity had other side effects, such as his weight ballooning to 260 lb. but he managed to work himself back to his regular shape by the start of spring training in 2023. Amazingly, he was still considered a rookie at that point, in spite of having received Rookie of the Year votes three years earlier!

Further Reading

• Christina De Nicola: "A much lighter Sixto works to make his comeback", mlb.com, February 10, 2023. [1]
• Joe Frisaro: "Flamethrowing Sixto's the 'total package'", mlb.com, September 9, 2020. [2]
• Jordan McPherson (Miami Herald): "What’s the deal with the Miami Marlins’ Sixto Sanchez? Here’s the latest", Yahoo! News, March 5, 2023. [3]

Related Sites

• Sixto Sánchez on mlb.com
• BR Minors page