Gary Sanchez is starting in the All-Star Game, but the New York Yankees slugger is also considering a Home Run Derby appearance.
Gary Sanchez is tearing the cover off of the ball this season. After the New York Yankees catcher put up disappointing numbers in 2018, he’s making up for it this season.
Sanchez already has 23 home runs on the season and has been asked to participate in the Home Run Derby this July. He is still thinking about partaking, but he wants to discuss things with his wife before he makes his decision.
“I haven’t sat down and talked to her yet,” Sanchez said through team translator Marlon Abreu, via Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.
“It’s one of the things we plan on doing. But I also had an injury on my shoulder last year. A couple things to consider before I make a decision.”
The shoulder injury was a huge reason for Sanchez’s poor performance in 2018. Fear of re-injuring that shoulder could be the only thing holding him back from competing in the Derby.
“I’m thinking about it,” Sanchez said. “I don’t have a definite answer right now. I have to talk to my wife and my agent about it. But I’m not sure.”
This season marks the first year the MLB is handing out $1 million to the winner. That’s not a bad payday for a few rounds of batting practice.
If Sanchez does choose to compete, he’ll bring experience to the table. He participated in the 2017 Home Run Derby and took down Giancarlo Stanton in the first round of the competition before falling to Miguel Sano in the next round. Aaron Judge would add to his mystique by handily winning that year.
Baseball fans would be lucky to have Sanchez back in the spotlight, but Yankee fans don’t want that to come at the expense of his health.
