The Houston Astros continue to find talent through the international pipeline as they are set to sign an LHP Yanquiel Sanchez, out of Cuba, in two weeks, as first reported by Francy Romero. With this signing, the Astros continue to lead all of Major League Baseball as they will be set to sign their 16th Cuban player within the organization.
What To Expect
With the soon-to-be addition of Sanchez, the Astros continue to impress as they continue to find talent. In January, the Astros signed top Cuban prospect Pedro Leon, who quickly made an impact at Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, which earned him a promotion to Triple-A Sugar Land just a few weeks ago. The Astros are hoping to have that same success with Sanchez.
The 20-year old pitcher defected from Cuba in 2020 joins a list of Cuban-born players currently playing for the Astros organization, all of which have followed the lead set by Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel. Sanchez is a power left-handed pitcher with three pitches, fastball, curveball, and a changeup. His fastball is good at 92 mph, a curveball at 78 mph, and his changeup sits around 80 mph.
Sanchez had a 6.39 ERA during the Cuban National Series, with 11 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched. This is something the Astros can build on.
As he develops, we should see an increase in velocity with all of his pitches, primarily his fastball. The Astros are one of the best teams when it comes to developing their talent, and the future is bright with Sanchez. It won’t be long before we see him pitching in Minute Maid Park.
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