Brandon Brown
Sunday afternoon, the New York Mets recovered from Saturday’s crushing defeat with a 7-3 victory over the Miami Marlins (score). They beat Sixto Sánchez for four runs in the first inning, added insurance runs against the bullpen late, and avoided any adventures in the ninth inning. The Mets still need to work things out with Edwin Díaz, but at least they’re back in the win column.
The Marlins, meanwhile, have fallen to 15-33 on the season, and their minus-82 run differential is the worst in the National League. Sánchez allowed those four runs in the first inning Sunday, then settled down and kept the Mets off the board for the next three innings. This continues a pattern for Sánchez, who has allowed 11 first-inning runs in his five starts (19.80 ERA), and six runs (three earned) in 14 1/3 innings (1.88 ERA).
After Sunday’s game, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker didn’t mince words, saying Sánchez must figure out the first inning to remain a big league starter. Schumaker went so far as to call the first round fights “unacceptable.” From MLB.com:
“I don’t know [the root of the issue], but this is unacceptable in the first round, so if you want to start at this level you will have to be better in the first round. It’s exactly what it is,” Schumaker said. “We had a frank conversation underneath, and the same thing happened [pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr.].”
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“I’ve said this before: The changes we’re trying to make aren’t working, so we have to keep trying to find something,” Schumaker said. “I’m not going to give up on him. We’re not going to give up on him, but he’s not a big prospect anymore. Like it’s time to go. If he wants to start, he needs to figure that part out. If he wants to be a starter, we think he’s starter, which shows what he can do from the second to the fifth round.
I would classify this as “tough love,” not “throwing him under the bus.” Schumaker indicated that he is trying to help Sánchez make adjustments that will allow him to overcome his first-round problems, but they are not working. At some point the blame shifts from the organization to the player. We don’t yet know if the Marlins are at that point with Sánchez, but that point exists.
Sánchez, who is still just 25, has returned from a series of serious arm injuries this season. He did not pitch in 2021 or 2022 and pitched just one minor league inning in 2023. Sánchez is out of minor league options, meaning the Marlins cannot send him to Triple-A without exposing him to waivers, and they they don’t want to do that. They are forced to figure it out in the big leagues.
It might be worth pairing Sánchez with an opener and see if that helps him overcome his first innings woes. Historically, the first inning is the highest-scoring inning because it is the only inning in which each team’s best hitters are guaranteed to hit. Miami could give Sánchez an opening and let him avoid the top of the order, and see if that leads him in the right direction.
Miami had Sánchez start 2024 in the bullpen and he didn’t pitch very well in that role, allowing seven runs (five earned) in 7 1/3 innings. Opponents hit .267/.353/.400 against him as a reliever. The Marlins put Sánchez in the rotation out of necessity because they have been hit hard by injuries this year. It’s not like he pitched well as a reliever and earned the rotation opportunity.
After all the arm issues and multiple surgeries, it’s no surprise that Sánchez’s speed is down significantly from his 2020 rookie season. His quad averaged 158.8 mph and his cutter averaged 89.1 mph in 2020. This year, those numbers are 154.4 mph and 83.9 mph this year, respectively. Sánchez has just 15 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings and has one of the lowest strikeouts in MLB.
Acquired from the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies in the JT Realmuto trade, Sánchez pitched 39 innings with a 3.46 ERA as a rookie during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. That earned him some Rookie of the Year votes. Injuries then settled in and sidelined him for the entire 2021-23 season.
