Ali Sanchez

Position: C
Level: AFL
Affiliate: Scottsdale Scorpions
League: Arizona Fall League
Born: 01/20/1997 (Age: 27)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 196
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as international free agent July 2, 2013 (NYM)

Prospect Spotlight

Sanchez signed with the Mets as an IFA out of Venezuela in 2013. Since joining the Mets, he has shown a plus overall defensive skill set and thrown out a stellar 47% of potential base stealers over his career. Questions around the hit tool remain, and will be, a deciding factor on the future of the Venezuelan backstop. In 2018, he slashed .265/.294/.387 with 15 walks and 38 strikeouts in 347 PA’s.

Sanchez has a lean frame and athletic build that projects to add some additional weight and strength with maturity. Offensively, Sanchez has an inside-out, line-drive oriented swing and struggles to create separation and heel/back shoulder stretch at present. Sanchez’s short stroke produces solid bat-to-ball skills but does little to aid his power potential. With average bat speed at present, Sanchez is unlikely to add much over-the-fence-pop down the road and his in-game power won’t get much past 20-grade. Sanchez is a free-swinger and still developing his approach, but his bat-to-ball skills and low strikeout rates help project the overall hitting ability to potentially playable.

Defensively, Sanchez has a plus arm and plus arm strength that is complemented by a quick footwork, transfer, and release. Earlier this Fall, I saw him deliver a dart of a throw to second base clocked at a 1.92 to nab the runner. He’s aggressive in back-picking throws to first base and his aggressiveness behind the plate has the potential to shut the running game down. A tremendous receiver, Sanchez has strong hands that absorb the baseball well. When he needs to turn the glove over, his blocking technique is clean, and he possesses lateral quickness and body control. The development of the hit tool will determine if Sanchez can be an everyday player. His defensive ability will make him no less than a solid backup.