X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Year-In-Review: Sixto Sanchez

sixto sanchez fantasy baseball rankings MLB prospects

Pierre Camus evaluates the 2020 fantasy baseball season for Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez to determine his outlook for next season.

The 2020 season presented numerous challenges and is one that most teams, Dodgers aside, are ready to move on from. In the case of the Miami Marlins, it represented a major step forward for a perennially-rebuilding franchise.

The Marlins made the playoffs for the first time since their 2003 championship season, mostly on the strength of timely hitting and a strong starting pitching staff. By year's end, that rotation didn't include a single pitcher over the age of 25. The youngest of the bunch was rookie Sixto Sanchez, the team's top prospect after being acquired for All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto in the offseason.

At age 21, Sanchez looked like a veteran from the jump, allowing just six runs in his first 32 innings pitched with a 29-5 K-BB rate. His last two starts were drastically different, however, as he was tagged for 12 hits and nine runs in seven innings. Did he hit the rookie wall after a month of play or did hitters begin to figure him out?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Starting Strong

Our initial impression of Sanchez showcased all the positives in his scouting report - a blazing four-seam fastball that averaged 98.5 MPH, ranking in the 97th percentile, a strong changeup to complement it, and most importantly, he stayed healthy.

His rolling xwOBA stayed below the MLB average of .311 nearly through the first 150 batters faced and his ERA didn't go over 3.00 until his final start of the season.

Control wasn't a concern, as he never saw his walk rate touch 8% throughout the minors. The lack of strikeouts is still holding him back from unlocking his full potential but wasn't necessarily an issue in his debut.

 

The Downside

Despite his elite velocity, Sanchez only ranked in the 34th percentile for K%. He rang up 14 batters in his first two starts spanning 12 innings but began tapering off. The decrease in strikeouts is tied to the same issue that may have caused him to falter down the stretch.

The K-rate on Sanchez's four-seam fastball came in at 30.8%. When filtered for starting pitchers with at least 25 batters faced in 2020, that ranks 19th-highest. For what it's worth, fellow fish Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Trevor Rogers came in at 31.4%, 32.2%, and 35% respectively in that category. This hasn't been officially verified, but that probably makes them the hardest-throwing staff in the majors.

Obligatory Pitching Ninja footage:


If the strikeout rate for his blazing fastball was superb, it was even better for his changeup at 31.6%. But while two of his most-used pitches were devastatingly effective, the other sticks out like a blister.

The pitch that hitters took advantage of in his rough late-September starts was his sinker. It is puzzling why this pitch wasn't more effective, seeing as how it generated plenty of vertical movement and clocked in at 96.6 MPH on average. It wasn't a putaway pitch but it did generate plenty of ground balls at a 71.4% rate. It only generated a 14.9% whiff per swing rate, however, according to Alex Chamberlain's Pitch Leaderboard.

If the problem wasn't velocity or movement, then it must be a real estate mantra: location, location, location. Sanchez's placed his sinker in the same zones consistently and did so regardless of batter handedness. Here are the heatmaps to prove it:

It's clear that his sinker landed in the zone too often and didn't distinguish itself from the four-seamer enough. If the goal with that pitch is simply to produce grounders while reserving the changeup or heater as a wipeout pitch, it worked to that end. Unfortunately, those grounders didn't result in outs often enough and limited his ability to utilize his other weapons since he used the sinker earlier in counts. Pointing to batted-ball luck may seem like a copout but the .400 BABIP on his sinker is far higher than the .258 xBA on the pitch, so maybe positive regression is in store.

Overall, a 27.3% CSW% isn't ace material, but it's on par with other young studs like Dustin May (27.1%) and Kris Bubic (27.3%). Sanchez already has demonstrated that he won't walk his way out of games, nor was the long ball a problem as his 9.4% HR/FB rate can attest to. There's plenty to like here so even if he doesn't cut down on his sinker usage or get the pitch to fully work for him, he should at least sustain last year's results. Minimal growth already puts him in the range of a fantasy SP3. Sanchez's 129 ERA+ was higher than Lucas Giolito or Walker Buehler and he has the benefit of a pitcher's park behind him; the floor for him ratio-wise is well worth the draft risk even if a bump in K-rate is not expected.

 

2021 Projection

Early Steamer projections are not bullish on Sanchez relative to last season's performance. It predicts his ERA to climb half a run, up to 3.95 along with a 1.30 WHIP. It also predicts no movement in his K% whatsoever. It will be interesting to see what the final ATC projections come out to be but it is easy to buy into a strikeout increase, if not a full-out spike.

When forecasting his ratios, it depends if you put more stock into the way he began the season or ended it. Although getting hit hard in the final pair of regular-season starts and exiting early in the last postseason start may be alarming, it should be noted that two of those games came against the Braves. Of course, he will face his division rivals quite a bit over the next year but their strong end to 2020 may have made Sanchez look worse than he is.

A cursory glance at the debut season for Sixto Sanchez may show a flamethrowing prospect who dazzled upon arrival but was eventually figured out, leading to pessimism about his true Major League readiness. A deeper look reveals a young starter who has all the tools at his disposal to be a true ace and avoided the erratic control that plagues many young starters. By contrast, Casey Mize, the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball heading into 2021, pitched to a 7.27 xERA thanks in part to a 9.8% walk rate.

His early 2021 ADP in NFBC drafts is 114 overall, just behind pitchers such as Zack Greinke and Dylan Budy. Sanchez can't be considered a bargain but the reward could be great if he delivers high-end SP2 value at an SP3 cost.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More 2021 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Luke Waddell27 mins ago

Swinging A Hot Bat At Triple-A
Chandler Simpson50 mins ago

With A Two-Run Triple, Stolen Base On Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers1 hour ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
Austin Gomber2 hours ago

Scratched From Rehab Start With Shoulder Inflammation
Zack Wheeler2 hours ago

Records 10 Strikeouts
2 hours ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals2 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Aroldis Chapman2 hours ago

Earns First Save Of The Season
Garrett Crochet2 hours ago

Works Eight Strong Innings
Tutu Atwell2 hours ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Rafael Devers3 hours ago

Finally Delivers At The Plate
Tampa Bay Buccaneers3 hours ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Xavier Edwards3 hours ago

Collects Four Hits
Pete Alonso3 hours ago

Comes Up Clutch
Jackson Merrill5 hours ago

Goes Deep After Inking Nine-Year Extension
Jrue Holiday5 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets5 hours ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Luis Castillo5 hours ago

Finally Beats The Tigers On Wednesday
Al Horford5 hours ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Seiya Suzuki5 hours ago

Carries Cubs Offense With Two Homers, Five RBI
Kristaps Porzingis5 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet5 hours ago

Out Versus Utah
Dennis Santana5 hours ago

Picks Up First Save Of The Year
Evan Phillips5 hours ago

Tony Gonsolin, Evan Phillips Starting Rehab Assignments
Dean Wade5 hours ago

Sidelined On Wednesday
George Springer6 hours ago

Hits First Homer In Win Over Nationals
Alex Bregman6 hours ago

Considering Using Torpedo Bat
Trae Young6 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up On Wednesday
Freddie Freeman6 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Ozzie Albies6 hours ago

Moving To Leadoff Spot On Wednesday
Joel Embiid6 hours ago

Will Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On His Left Knee
Evgeni Malkin6 hours ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Freddy Peralta6 hours ago

Dazzles In No-Decision Against Royals
Filip Chytil6 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Jackson Chourio6 hours ago

Picks Up Three Hits, First Homer In Extra-Innings Win
Declan Chisholm6 hours ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Michael Harris II6 hours ago

Sitting Against Lefty On Wednesday
Keaton Wallace6 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Samuel Girard7 hours ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta7 hours ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen7 hours ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz7 hours ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
8 hours ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
8 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
9 hours ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams9 hours ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns10 hours ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots11 hours ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
11 hours ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody11 hours ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers11 hours ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Green Bay Packers13 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans13 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett13 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns14 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals14 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown14 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Bennedict Mathurin15 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Myles Turner15 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford15 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday15 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown15 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham15 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis15 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard17 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel17 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko17 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson17 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson17 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin18 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young22 hours ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama22 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim23 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners1 day ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay1 day ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti1 day ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele1 day ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter1 day ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry1 day ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud1 day ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba1 day ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry1 day ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault1 day ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere1 day ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä1 day ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones3 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry4 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira6 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 2: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2025)

Week 2 of the UFL season is just around the corner. This week will feature one game on Friday, one game on Saturday, and two on Sunday. Birmingham and Michigan will play at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, followed by Memphis-D.C. on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Sunday's game pits the 1-0 Renegades against the […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]