New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez has been mashing the ball throughout the month of May and therefore deserves to be named player of the month.
Winning is fun. Beating a division rival is even more fun. Sweeping a division rival is sweeter. The Yankees completed a four-game sweep against the Baltimore Orioles yesterday and the bats could not have had a better series. If you are wondering what the Yankees offensive numbers were, look below:
The Yankees in this 4 game set vs the Orioles
43 Hits
20 Walks
35 Runs
13 Home runs
.299 BA
.382 OBP— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) May 23, 2019
An utterly dominant performance against a subpar ball club. The 2018 Yankees don’t do this, folks. The 2019 Yankees are beating the teams in front of them good or bad and that’s what needs to be done. With the Yankees being in first place, their best hitter at the moment is having one of the best offensive starts to season a catcher could have.
Gary Sanchez even with an IL stint is having himself a resurgence season after the 2018 debacle. While the 2018 season was cut short due to injuries, he was never able to be a consistent force in the lineup. Fast forward to May of 2019 and “EL Kraken” is on a rampage. In only 123 ABs, he is slashing .276/.350/1.025. For any player that is All-Star like numbers. For a catcher? That is absurd. He is by far the best offensive catcher in the entire league this season.
While Gary keeps rolling so do the Yankees and it is no coincidence. He has provided the power the Yankees have sorely missed with Judge and Stanton on the shelf.
Before we dive into some of the numbers for the month of May, looking at where he ranks amongst the league in catchers is a necessity. He leads all Major League catchers in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. While also ranking second in RBIs and in triples, Gary has put himself into elite company. I also forgot to mention that he has played in only 33 games and less than fifty at-bats compared to some of the leader’s in these categories. He is on pace for his best season yet and knowing how special he can be, I believe he continues to silence doubters and puts up historic numbers for a catcher.
He has a chance to earn AL player of the Month for May for the first time since August 2016. Boasting a .317/.386/1.068 slash is insane. His offensive prowess is creating the juggernaut that is taking the league by storm. Having seven home runs and 13 RBIs and counting is nothing short of amazing for Gary himself and the ball club. With the Yankees rolling and Gary Sanchez being THE guy, it makes sense to give him the nod. While there is a week left in the month, Gary looks to improve on his numbers in the month of May.