Jesús Sánchez
Breakdown
Performance
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April 2, 2026
Rewinding swing mechanics
Sanchez has been working to get back to the swing he had earlier in his career, rather than the one he was using last season with the Marlins and Astros, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Analysis
The 28-year-old initially hit the big leagues in 2020 with a more upright stance, but over the years Sanchez's bat became parallel to the ground and he adopted a bit of a crouch. Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins has helped him return to more natural, comfortable mechanics at the plate, and the early results have been very positive -- Sanchez has gone 6-for-16 over his first five games with Toronto with a homer, four RBI and a 2:2 BB:K. Sanchez also got his first start of the year against a left-handed pitcher Wednesday as he tries to break out of a strict platoon role. He's never slugged more than 18 homers in a season or posted an OPS over .777 in anything close to a full campaign (he managed an .808 OPS in 64 games for Miami in 2021), but the Jays believe Sanchez has more offense to unlock.
March 30, 2026
Belts first homer as Jay
Sanchez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Sunday's win over the A's.
Analysis
The 28-year-old outfielder crushed a Luis Morales fastball to straightaway center field in the third inning, giving Sanchez his first long ball in a Toronto uniform. Sanchez has rotated starts with Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider through the first three games of the season, but the former Marlin could end up as the preferred option against right-handed pitching, especially if the Blue Jays coaching staff can unlock more power from his bat. Sanchez has hit between 13 and 18 homers in each of the last five seasons, but his elite bat speed has teased more upside in that department.
March 27, 2026
Not in lineup Friday
Sanchez isn't part of the Blue Jays' starting nine for Friday's game against the Athletics.
Analysis
Sanchez, after being acquired via trade in Feburary, had been in contention for the starting left field role, but the Blue Jays will opt for a different left-handed-hitting outfielder to fill the spot Friday in Nathan Lukes. Sanchez slashed just .199/.269/.342 in 48 games after being sent to the Astros midway through the 2025 campaign, and he may have some work to do in order to etch out consistent playing time with the Blue Jays.