Can cast-off catcher's resurgence become contagious?

By Tommy Fradenburg | Last updated 6/8/23

San Diego Padres catcher Gary Sanchez may be on his fourth organization since the start of the 2022 season, but with four home runs and nine RBIs in nine games, he seems to be as comfortable at the plate as he has been in quite some time.

Now the Padres are hoping Sanchez's turnaround can trigger one of their own.

Despite having MLB's third-highest payroll and a star-studded lineup featuring the likes of Juan Soto, Xander Boagaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego has started slowly this season. The Padres (29-33) sit in fourth place in the N.L. West, eight games behind first-place Arizona.

Since acquiring Sanchez on May 29, San Diego has gone 5-3 in his eight starts. His four homers in 29 at-bats already lead the club for long balls by a backstop this year -- no other Padres catcher has more than one dinger -- and it isn't just his bat that's making a difference.

Starting pitcher Blake Snell told the media that he knew "we'd be really good together, especially with how well he hits me." That comment came after Snell spun six strong shutout innings against the Chicago Cubs on June 5 with Sanchez behind the plate. San Diego has not allowed more than four runs in any one game that Sanchez has caught since joining the team.

Sanchez began his career as the first face of the New York Yankees youth movement in 2016, when he hit 20 home runs over the team's the final 53 games. But after making the 2019 All-Star Game, he saw both his power and favor fade in pinstripes.

After a trade to the Minnesota Twins before the 2022 season, Sanchez posted another disappointing campaign. And in 2023, he has bounced from coast to coast, beginning the year with the San Francisco Giants then heading to the New York Mets before seeming to finally catch on in San Diego.

The Padres are off on Thursday before opening a series in Colorado against the Rockies on Friday.

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