Gary Sánchez (C, NYY) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 33% of Fleaflicker Leagues

ANALYSIS: Gary Sánchez, a power hitting prospect who’s been on top-100 lists since he was a teenager, hasn’t missed a beat since his recent call up to the Yankees. In 12 games, he’s hitting .340 with three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBI. Certain things are unsustainable - a .375 BABIP, and the resulting .340 average - but given this season’s catcher landscape, Sánchez doesn’t need to keep up those particular numbers to be an easy start in 12-team leagues. His ground ball rate sits at a high 61.1%, which shows that he isn’t selling out his swing to get under every pitch with the idea of knocking it out of the park. As he continues to adjust to major league pitching, some of those grounders will turn into line drives and big flies. His batting average will regress, but his high hard contact rate and ability to generate home run loft will provide a spark that few catchers have matched this season. The Yankees have been very deliberate in Sanchez’s development; he’s logged well over 1,000 at-bats between A and AA ball, and over 450 at AAA. Now that he’s reached the Majors, the Yanks have no intention of stunting his growth - since his call-up he’s started every game but one, at either catcher or DH. A catcher-eligible player who starts every day, with the potential to provide top-five numbers at the position, could be the final piece to a playoff team’s puzzle.