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Aaron Sanchez gets torched in first start back with Blue Jays organization

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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May 11 2024, 3:59 pm
Aaron Sanchez gets torched in first start back with Blue Jays organization

Any fans holding hope that Aaron Sanchez will become the fifth starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays may want to look away.

Sanchez, who was surprisingly signed to a minor-league deal by the Blue Jays earlier in the week, took the mound for Triple-A Buffalo last night. Some were hopeful that he could show signs of the pitchers he was back in his prime with the Blue Jays, where in 2016, he was not only an All-Star but was also the AL ERA leader.

Unfortunately for Sanchez, his first start didn’t give many indications that he could get back to that level. The 31-year-old gave up six earned runs on five hits over just four innings while walking three. He had zero strikeouts and just one whiff on 66 pitches. Perhaps most concerning is that while previously known for throwing heat, his fastball averaged just 90.2 mph.


While the results are disappointing, they aren’t all that surprising. Late in Sanchez’s career, he started experiencing fingernail and blister issues, which have impacted his game. Since leaving the Blue Jays in 2019, he has bounced around on several rosters, both in the MLB and at the Triple-A level.

The Blue Jays won’t give up on Sanchez just yet, given that they just signed him, but it’s fair to wonder if this is simply the best he is capable of at this point in his career. We should have a better idea of that whenever he is given the ball to make his second start for Triple-A Buffalo, which will likely be sometime this next week.

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